ANALYSIS/FUTURE OPTIONS: Further political moves on abortion are unlikely to come quickly, writes Mark Brennock, Political Correspondent
The final count result had not yet been announced yesterday afternoon when Fine Gael and Labour clearly restated their commitments to legislate for the X case.
The Taoiseach, in contrast, made no such commitment and suggested there was, in fact, no possible legislation or constitutional change that would reflect the will of the people as expressed in the ballot box.
For both Government parties, the matter is for another day, and that day will come after the next general election.
"It will fall to the next Government to consider the wider implications arising from today's result," the Tánaiste, Ms Harney, said in a statement.
Her spokesman did not say what position her party would take were it to be part of the next Government.
But based on commitments restated yesterday, Fine Gael and Labour in government would agree to legislate for the X case. The precise details of that legislation remain to be ironed out.
Both party leaders said there would have to be further "widespread consultation" on the matter before any legislation was produced.
The greatest possibility for conflict, therefore, arises if Fianna Fáil and Labour end up trying to negotiate a programme for government.
Leaders of both parties yesterday avoided tying themselves to hard negotiating positions.
The Labour leader, Mr Ruairí Quinn, would not say the issue was a "precondition". The Taoiseach responded to a question on the matter by pausing for several seconds before saying: "It's very interesting what might happen after the election."
Both Fine Gael and Labour were clear in their commitments to legislate in line with the X case decision allowing for abortion where a woman's life is in danger as a result of threatened suicide. Mr Michael Noonan said public opinion was "evenly balanced and widespread consultation must take place on the legislation necessary to reflect the X case interpretation of Article 40.3.3 in statute law".
Mr Quinn insisted the next step was "to introduce legislation in Dáil Éireann, after the next election, to provide for the X case".
This would be done, he said, after consultation with various interested parties on issues such as time limits beyond which an abortion could not take place, conscience clauses for doctors who did not want to carry out such procedures and other issues.
The Taoiseach, meanwhile, indicated he has no intention either to legislate or to pursue another constitutional amendment on the abortion issue.
The view he expressed during the campaign that a No vote would imply that the X case should be legislated for seemed to have disappeared by the time he emerged from Government Buildings yesterday to speak to the press.
"The No vote was made up of people with totally different views," he said.
The Minister for Health, Mr Martin, said: "I don't think there is any mandate emerging from this decision to legislate in any particular direction."
In other words, the electorate's second rejection of an invitation to roll back the X case decision did not represent a mandate to legislate for that case - to allow abortion where a woman's life is at risk through a threat of suicide.
"To think you can draw up a simple Bill to deal with this issue - it's just not possible," said the Taoiseach.
He mentioned several times that "the will of the people has to be respected", and said "people will have to look again" at the matter. But there was "no simple answer".
As for the "liberal abortion regime" that he said during the campaign would follow a No vote, he said now it was "very hard to know" if that, in fact, would become a reality.
Politicians should "work to address" the "challenges" thrown up by the result, but he did not suggest how this should be done.
Recounting the six years of consultation that led to the referendum defeat, he said, frankly, that he had no plan to deal with the issue. "There is no simple answer, people will have to look at it again. To think you can just pick up this in an easy way - it's just not like that."
The one point of agreement between Government and Opposition was on what the Taoiseach called the need "to address the human needs surrounding those situations where Irish women travel abroad to have abortions".
All the main parties expressed support for the work of the Crisis Pregnancy Agency.
"We need to recognise and address the pressures which impel women towards seeking abortion," Mr Ahern said.
"It is a significant challenge, but it is one on which I believe we must all work together," he added.