

Senior Government figures have made clear they will proceed to legislate for limited abortion and will not be influenced by Catholic bishops’ description of the planned law as “morally unacceptable”.

The head of the Catholic Church in Ireland, Cardinal Seán Brady, yesterday warned TDs they had a “solemn duty” to oppose the Protection of Life During Pregnancy Bill, which he said would result in “direct intentional killing”.

A spokesman for Taoiseach Enda Kenny said the Coalition would continue to move ahead with the proposed legislation, the broad outline of which was published this week. “We’re aware of the statement. The Government is proceeding to legislate as it’s required to do,” he said.

Tánaiste Eamon Gilmore said the bishops were entitled to express their point of view but TDs had a responsibility to legislate. “The laws of this country are made by those of us who are elected by the people and are charged with that responsibility,” he said.

“For 21 years now legislators have failed to legislate for a Supreme Court decision which set down what was lawful and what wasn’t lawful in circumstances where a pregnant woman’s life is at risk.”

Mr Gilmore’s party colleague Anne Ferris also said the bishops had a democratic right to make their statement but her view was that the Catholic hierarchy did not have “any moral high ground to stand on”.

Ms Ferris said the Catholic hierarchy “had to be dragged kicking and screaming to admit what some men of the cloth did to children for many years, and forced to apologise for it”.

She said the hierarchy would like a return to the Ireland of the 1940s and 1950s, “where things were hidden in our towns and villages and very terrible things were happening to women”.

She added: “If Jesus Christ were on this Earth today he wouldn’t be turning a blind eye to the injustice that women have to go through.”

Cardinal Brady said he hoped a referendum would be held and signalled a possible legal challenge to the Bill as one option. He was speaking after the release by the bishops of a statement describing the Bill as “unnecessary”.

The Irish healthcare system must ensure “complete respect for the sacredness of the life both of the mother and her unborn baby”, the bishops stated.

“The Bill as outlined represents a dramatic and morally unacceptable change to Irish law and is unnecessary to ensure that women receive the life-saving treatment they need during pregnancy,” the statement continued.

“Accordingly, at this crucial time, it is essential that all who share these beliefs make them clear to their legislators.”

The bishops said the Bill appeared to impose a duty on Catholic hospitals to provide abortions. They urged attendance of “all who cherish life” at a vigil for mothers and their unborn babies, which takes place in Knock today.