Health Minister Simon Harris must not force doctors opposed to abortion to refer women seeking terminations to other physicians, former Taoiseach John Bruton said at the annual dinner of the Pro-Life Campaign.

At the dinner on Saturday night, which was attended by more than 700 people, Mr Bruton pointed out that the Abortion Bill proposed by Minister for Health Simon Harris requires doctors who object to abortion to “make arrangements to transfer the care” of the woman to a doctor who would execute the abortion.

“This is aiding and abetting the abortion, and there is no conscience clause here,” said Mr Bruton. Besides being unjust, Mr Bruton said the clause was unnecessary as the Government have the option of simply publishing a list of doctors who would carry out abortions. Otherwise, he fears “that doctors who are known to oppose abortion will be targeted under this clause by people wishing to catch them out and put them under threat of criminal prosecution because of their religious or human rights beliefs.

Mr Bruton was also sharply critical of Mr Harris’s speech to the Dáil following the result of the referendum.  “He spoke of the referendum result inaugurating what he called ‘a brighter Ireland’. It will not be a bright Ireland for the little babies who will have their lives ended before being allowed to see the light of a single Irish day.

“He spoke of the referendum meaning that we are ‘maturing into a tolerant, non-judgemental, inclusive Republic’. The Minister’s own speech was rather judgmental, and not particularly tolerant of those who sincerely disagree with him on the issue of abortion.”