Fine Gael TDs and senators yesterday backed their leadership's strategy of highlighting difficulties with the Government's abortion proposals, but declined to take a definitive position on the issue.
The party's health spokesman, Mr Gay Mitchell, said the proposed legislation would have to be amended before his party could accept it. "There are circumstances in which we could accept it, if there are improvements. It needs to be amended."
Mr Mitchell said neither the content nor the intention of the Protection of Human Life in Pregnancy Bill were clear. Fine Gael would decide after the initial discussion of the Bill in the Oireacthas what its position was in relation to an abortion referendum.
At yesterday's meeting Mr Mitchell presented Fine Gael's "initial response" in a document which included 40 questions concerning the Government proposals.
A Government spokesman said there would be a response to the questions today.
The Fine Gael meeting was described as mature and constructive. Party chairman Mr Pβdraic McCormack said up to 20 TDs and senators spoke, but it was "a different type of debate altogether from previously".
"But it's not just us. Back in 1992 the media would have been at the door of the meeting waiting for us to come out." "There was no extremism or fundamentalism," said another TD, explaining there were measured contributions from what would be considered the liberal and the conservative sides of the party.
One TD said that everyone in attendance seemed to have problems with aspects of the Government proposals and the party was correct to take time consider the matter.
There was criticism of the Progressive Democrats and what was described as their "hypocrisy" in relation to the Government's proposals and the holding of a referendum. A number of people expressed concern that threatened suicide would be ruled out as a ground for abortion.
Other TDs pointed out that the abortion issue had not been raised with them by constituents in the past week. "It was a constructive meeting," said one TD, "but once everyone knew that no decision was going to be made today they didn't have to carve out a position."
The Fianna Fβil Parliamentary Party passed a motion "supporting the proposals of the Government and recommends them to the people". Party chairman Mr Rory O'Hanlon said the vote had been unanimous. He said 17 people had spoken at the meeting and none had expressed misgivings on any aspect of the proposals.
According to one TD "praise was lavished" on the Taoiseach, Mr Ahern, by a number of senators and TDs for the proposals, including Senator Des Hanafin and his brother Mr Noel Ahern.