SEANAD REPORT: An "offensive" abortion questionnaire was condemned on both sides of the ouse and led to renewed calls for the establishment of a press council.

Dr Maurice Manning, Fine Gael leader in the Seanad, said the survey circulated to parliamentarians by the Sunday Times newspaper had reached a new low in offensiveness. One query posed was whether any member of the recipient's family had had an abortion. "Well, first of all, I don't know, secondly, I don't want to know, and certainly it's none of my business," declared Dr Manning.

He believed that that would be the reaction of all members. Dr Manning said he had not answered the circular.

Mr Joe O'Toole said he had thrown his copy of the document into the bin. He could not quite believe that this "appalling" survey had come from a reputable Sunday newspaper.

Mr Joe Costello (Lab) said the Sunday Times had been a wonderfully reputable newspaper, but it had declined in standards since Rupert Murdoch had taken it over.

Mr John Dardis (PD), deputy Government leader in the House, said he had been shocked by the questionnaire. It stated that the recipient could answer anonymously, but "we were invited to put our names, our party affiliation and how we would vote in the referendum on the matter. I think the really offensive part about it was to ask a personal question about personal family matters."

The leader of the House, Mr Donie Cassidy, said he agreed with the forthright criticisms that had been made. If senators were genuine and sincere in calling for the setting up of a press council, he believed "the proof of the pudding" would be in how many political parties included such a commitment in their election manifestos.

For the past 14 years he had been calling for the establishment of a Press Council. "It's about time that we did have the power of our convictions and go ahead and set it up," he said.