A Yes vote in next month’s abortion referendum will guarantee availability of the morning-after pill, according to Fianna Fáil.
Speaking at the launch of the party’s campaign for a Yes vote, Mr Micheál Martin said endorsement of the referendum would "guarantee doctors a clear framework within which to protect the life of women".
He said the proposed amendment was developed after a long period of consultation with interested parties and is an attempt to reflect the diverse views expressed, though he recognised that not all parties could be satisfied.
"It’s true to say: "Look, it was never going to be possible to come up with a measure which would meet the needs, the convictions of all sides in this area. But it’s not true to assume, as a corollary, that no worthwhile proposal could be made to the Irish people," Mr Martin said.
In launching a leaflet outlining the Government’s proposals, the Minster for Health said the issue was a sensitive and painful one and that the campaign should be conducted in a mature manner.
"We offer the assurance that we will conduct the referendum campaign in a way the maturity already shown in the debate. This is too painful and personal an issue to be addressed through the harsh condemning certainties of the past," Mr Martin said.
He said the course of the referendum campaign would define the nation, saying that since the ‘X’ case ruling; a calmer, quieter, more respectful approach had been adopted with regard to abortion.