Taoiseach Enda Kenny said the Protection of Life During Pregnancy Bill "is important but it is not radical" and it will not lead to abortion on demand in Ireland.
He said it will legislate for a constitutional right that has existed in a completely unregulated way.
Given the sensitivity and complexity of the issue, the draft heads of the bill were referred to the Oireachtas Committee on Health and Children and he commended the work of that committee.
The bill is underpinned by a number of important principles to provide legal clarity where there is a real and substantial risk to the life of a woman.
He said that the bill includes covering the existing constitutional rights only and will not create any new rights.
Medical termination of pregnancy can only be legally permitted where all of the doctors involved say it is the only treatment.
In case of medical emergency one doctor may make that decision. The doctor will have to certify their reason for their actions within 72 hours.
After outlining the details of the bill the Taoiseach addressed some of the concerns that have been raised.
He said that he is bound to comply with the constitution of the coutry so it has be legislated for.
He rejected the view that the government could not legislate in this area.
Minister for European Affairs Lucinda Creighton has appealed to the Government to accept "substantive amendments" to the bill.
Speaking as the Dáil resumed its debate on the legislation, Ms Creighton said she will vote with her conscience on the bill.
She said her personal view was that all she could do when making a decision on "life and death" is consult her conscience.
Ms Creighton criticised the inclusion of the suicide clause and said it was bizarre that the bill contained no provision for legal representation for the unborn in cases of suicidal intent.
She also urged amendments to clarify what term limits would apply to terminations.
It is expected that Ms Creighton will for now support the legislation on the second stage, but her position on the final passage of the legislation will be subject to any amendments that might be made.
Minister for Justice Alan Shatter said that when we first dealt with this issue in 1983, he said Article 43.3.3 was deeply flawed and he was vilified for doing so.
He said that many of the predictions he made came true.
He said this year is the 30th anniversary of article 43.3.3 and this debate is a lot like that debate.
Minister Shatter this bill will not liberalise abortion law and it is legislation that simply reflects the current law.
He said it is not a liberal law, it is highly restrictive and its central theme is about the right to life of women and the unborn.
In a clear reference to Ms Creighton's speech earlier, Shatter said that this legislation has nothing to do with China, the United States or any other State.
He said he regarded it as extraordinary that anyone could suggest a link between this bill and the one baby policy in China or the idea of designer babies.
Without naming MsCreighton, he referred to her speech where she said that abortions could be used out by parents to avoid having children with special needs as "hyperbole".
Minister Shatter said he recognises the profound value of protecting the unborn.
He said he is pro-life but that should not obscure the reality of the complexity of dealing with this issue.
Meanwhile, Dublin North East TD Terence Flanagan has confirmed that he will be voting against the proposed legislation.
He is the fourth Fine Gael TD to say they would not support the bill.
Billy Timmins, Brian Walsh and Peter Mathews have already confirmed their opposition.
Ó Cuív says bill would 'open the floodgates'
Tánaiste Eamon Gilmore has said that supporting the bill is the "right thing to do" and his party will support it tomorrow.
He said everyone is aware of the significance of the bill and of its complexities.
Mr Gilmore said he is aware of the differing beliefs on this issue, but said the core purpose of the bill is the protection of the life of women and children.
Fianna Fáil TD Éamon Ó Cuív has said he believes the bill will "open the floodgates to widespread abortion".
He said that he cannot support the legislation and he will be voting against it at second stage.
Mr Ó Cuív said he believes that those who join him in doing so across party lines are making the right decision, although in many cases they will be punished for doing so by their parties.
He asked those who are pro-choice to respect the views of the minority and accept that they are making a stand from "a human rights perspective".
Fine Gael TD Mary Mitchell O'Connor said the bill requires deputies to have faith in women and that suspicion that women would claim to be suicidal to avail of terminations was doing a disservice.
Dublin North West TD Róisín Shortall called for a sunset clause on the on bill.
Speaking this afternoon, she called on Minister for Health James Reilly to accept amendments to strengthen the bill because as it stood, she said, it is unacceptable.
She called for an annual review to closely monitor its impact.
Ms Shortall said anything less than revisiting the constitutional provision would be an Irish solution to an Irish problem, which she said "doesn't provide a solution at all".
Fianna Fáil TD Seán Ó Fearghaíl said he would oppose the passage of the bill.
He paid tribute to Ms Creighton for having the "courage, conviction and compassion" on a matter, which he noted as being close to her heart.
Earlier, Independent TD Finian McGrath said while he had major concerns about the legislation, he supported the request for an open and free vote.
Mr McGrath said he would wait to see the amendments, but confirmed that he would be supporting the legislation and reiterated that all views should be supported.
Pro Life Campaign opinion poll
The Pro Life Campaign says an opinion poll it commissioned shows that a majority of voters is opposed to abortion as a response to a threat of suicide.
It also indicates that a large majority supports a free vote on related legislation currently before the Dáil.
The online survey of a nationally representative sample of almost a thousand adults was conducted for the Pro Life Campaign by Amárach Research.
It asked respondents to state their attitude to abortion "if it were clearly shown that (it) is not a suitable treatment for a pregnant woman with suicidal feelings".
Of those expressing an opinion, 60% say they would be unlikely to support abortion on such grounds as against 40% who would be likely to support it.
The poll also reveals that 78% of respondents support granting a free vote to TD's and Senators on the Protection of Life During Pregnancy Bill versus 13% who say politicians should be required to vote with their parties.
Finally, there is slightly more than two-to-one support for prohibiting abortion when the pollsters draw a distinction between abortion and what the Pro Life Campaign calls "all necessary life-saving treatment for women".
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