POLITICAL REACTION: The Taoiseach, Mr Ahern, expressed disappointment over the result of the abortion referendum yesterday, but said as a democrat he respected the will of the people.
He had warned during the campaign that a No vote would result in a liberal abortion regime in this country, but when asked yesterday he appeared to draw back from this prediction saying there was no simple answer.
"Well, I have had six years of it, dealing with the medics, the legal people, members of the public, religious people and there are entirely different views in that.
"To think that you can just draw up a short bill and deal with this in a simple way is in my view not possible, and in the view of the tens of thousands of people who have looked at this over the last six years."
The No vote, he said, was made up of people of different views. "People who take a very fundamentalist position, to an extreme that I don't think we could ever satisfy, to people with a pro-choice view, to a whole lot in-between. So I think the No vote as it is has entirely different views."
He added: "So I don't know how you could represent any one proposal that would satisfy that group. I don't think it is possible quite frankly."
Earlier, the leader of the Labour Party, Mr Ruairí Quinn, saying he was pleased and relieved at the referendum outcome, refused to say if his party's position of legislating for the X case was a prerequisite of his party entering a coalition arrangement with Fianna Fáil.
"I'm not saying that it is a pre-requisite but would find it very hard ... we need to legislate on matter. The Taoiseach himself has indicated that if this measure does not go through then legislation should be introduced."
However, when asked about this later, Mr Ahern would only say: "It's interesting what may happen after the election."
The Fine Gael leader, Mr Michael Noonan, said opinion was evenly balanced and consultation must take place on the legislation necessary to address the X case. "It is clear that a majority - albeit small - want the Supreme Court decision on Article 40.3.3 to stand." He said people were confused, angry, and frustrated. "At polling booths yesterday the young and particularly young women, and young men, came out to vote no. I think we are looking at not only a difference between urban and rural Ireland, but a difference in the generations."
Both Mr Noonan and Mr Quinn said the result brought the apparent popularity of the Taoiseach into question. "Bertie Ahern, who is easily the most popular leader in the country as far as the polls are concerned, will have lost six by-elections and two referenda," said Mr Noonan.
Ms Liz O'Donnell TD, asked if the No vote was damaging for the PDs, responded: "The citizens have had an opportunity to vote for the proposition put forward by the Government. From our point of view, we did not obstruct the putting of this question to the people."
Ms O'Donnell was a member of the Cabinet sub-committee which put forward the referendum proposals. However, she said yesterday she believed they were not liberal enough. "To me it was a pro-life proposition. I think it wasn't sufficiently pro-woman perhaps to be acceptable to most modern Irish women" .
Asked how she had voted Ms O'Donnell said: "I have not said how I voted - that is my business."
The leader of the Green Party, Mr Trevor Sargent, described the No vote as a "significant setback for this arrogant Government".