With two weeks remaining before the polling day, the controversy surrounding the abortion referendum is developing by the moment.
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Ms Mary Harney and Mr Michael Noonan with special olympics athlete outside the Dáil today
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Once more the possibility of a televised head-to-head debate was bandied about by political leaders, while the question mark over status of the morning after pill has presented the Taoiseach with a new headache.
The abortion issue was raised this morning as leaders of the main political parties meet outside Dáil Eireann to mark the countdown to the Special Olympics World Games 2003 to be held in Ireland.
The Taoiseach, Mr Ahern and the Tánaiste, Ms Harney were joined by Labour Party leader Mr Ruairi Quinn and Fine Gael leader Mr Michael Noonan for an election-style count of coins collected by the Bank of Ireland to be re-distributed to the Irish town hosting the athletes for the Games next year.
After the photo-call, Mr Noonan again challenged the the Taoiseach to a head-to-head debate, expressing his disappointment at Mr Ahern’s continued refusal.
"It is quite clear that the poster campaign is the only real campaign running and the posters are canceling each other out . . . So it is up to the politicians to debate this."
However the Taoiseach remained steadfast to his position: "It is a non-political, it is not a partisan issue, let the people decide . . ."
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Mr Bertie Ahern and Mr Ruairi Quinn outside the Dáil today
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Mr Noonan countered this, saying it was already a political issue. "If he [Mr Ahern] has a strong personal commitment to the proposal, he has a duty to the Irish people to explain it to the people in detail."
Mr Ahern also denied confusion existed around the status of the morning-after pill under proposed abortion amendment.
The Referendum Commission in its information booklet said the constitutional status of the morning-after pill and the use of IUDs would remain in doubt regardless of whether the abortion referendum is passed or rejected.
This seems to contradict the Government's claim that the legislation was needed to protect emergency contraception.
Both Mr Quinn and Mr Noonan said the Commission’s statement created more questions and confusion, and Mr Quinn called on the Government to clarify this and a "whole range of issues".
The build-up to the General Election is also gathering steam with the latest constituency poll predicting Fianna Fáil’s Mr Chris Andrews will take the Fine Gael seat held by Ms Frances Fitzgerald in Dublin South East.
Undeterred Mr Noonan dismissed the Irish Independent/RTÉpoll as "just another poll". He said his party's polls show a different result.
"We are absolutely confident that Frances Fitzgerald will retain her seat, as a matter of fact our poll shows Colm MacEoicheagh making a very good showing as well as Frances," he said.