Sinn Féin is opposed to the proposal in the forthcoming abortion referendum and is calling for a No vote. However, the party "totally understands" this is an issue in which people "will take their own counsel and come to their own position in the end," Mr Martin Ferris, party strategist and Sinn Féin candidate, said yesterday.
Mr Ferris outlined the party's position on the referendum during a election boost visit to the Kerry North constituency by Ms Bairbre de Brún, the North's Health Minister.
The politicians were elected to legislate on difficult issues. This was what they should have done: "Instead, they are throwing it back on the people once again," Mr Ferris said.
The people were being asked to make decisions without having the medical or legal experience and knowledge, without being provided with explanatory material well in advance, he said.
"The enormity of the abortion problem is something festering in Irish society, not just in the past years, but going back decades where women's rights are secondary in Irish society," Mr Ferris said.
While Sinn Féin would not support abortion on demand, we were "exporting the problem" by sending thousands of women abroad instead of dealing with a difficult issue, Mr Ferris said.
"We are all pro-life at the end of the day, "he added.
The roots of the problem and what drove so many women to seek abortion should be addressed.
Ms de Brún criticised what she described as "clever attempts" to create a climate which suggested that Sinn Féin "was suspected of having links with vigilante activity".
Any such suggestions were "a nonsense", Ms de Brún said.
"It's a clever device by politicians who don't like to see the rising levels of support for Sinn Féin, trying to create the suspicion that they claim is already there.
"Martin Ferris is someone who works at a local level, with people for people. As a representative he holds all the values other politicians in the country could well benefit from emulating - honesty, transparency, hard work, accessibility and above all not forgetting where we come from and who we are.
"Politicians in the other parties are doing things on the ground to get elected; Sinn Féin wants to get elected to do things on the ground," she said.
The visit of Ms de Brún of Sinn Féin coincided with a visit by the Minister for the Marine, Mr Fahey, to the constituency.