The Pro Life Campaign has described the signing into law of the Government’s abortion law as “a very sad day for our country”.

And they said that the pro-life movement would continue to campaign for “the repeal of this unjust law”.

President Michael Higgins signed the bill into law on Tuesday, rather than referring it to the Supreme Court to test its constitutionality. The Bill can now be challenged by private individuals and organisations.

Had President Higgins referred the law under Article 26 of the Constitution and it was found to be constitutional, any further legal challenge would have been impossible.

Caroline Simons of the Pro Life Campaign said: “Despite what the Taoiseach and others claim, the new law is life-ending, not life-saving.  

“The Government brought forward this law in the full knowledge that abortion is not a treatment for suicidal feelings and ignored all the peer-reviewed evidence showing that abortion has adverse mental health consequences for women.”

Ms Simons added that the Bill made it legal “to deliberately target the life of an innocent human being” for the first time.  

“The Pro Life Campaign will now devote its energies to the repeal of this unjust law. We will give very careful consideration in the coming weeks to the best way to bring this about,” she said.

Ms Simons continued: “The pro-life movement is mobilised and growing. We have seen the biggest ever gatherings of pro-life people in recent weeks. The passage of this bill into law marks a new beginning not an end for pro-life activism.

“Fine Gael has broken its solemn pre-election commitment not to introduce abortion legislation. This will most definitely be remembered at the next election.”