Returns a Yes vote
going to be looking at 10,000 to 12,000 abortions in Ireland, 97% of which will be healthy babies from healthy mothers. The other frightening thing is what it is going to do to the medical profession - doctors will be asked to execute patients, that is what abortion on demand is’.
Asked what he felt had caused people to change their minds about the Eight Amendment, he said: ‘People have become far more liberal in their views. They were lied to by the Yes campaign’.
Mr Mullins said the pro-life movement will fight on until protection for the unborn is restored in the Constitution.
In 1983, 72.8% of County Wexford people voted to insert the amendment into the Constitution with 27.2% against and they largely voted to reverse that decision this time around.
Younger voters are being given some of the credit for the swing but there were also reports among canvassers at the count of a surprising number of elderly voters who indicated a preference for repeal.
Yes campaigner and former People Before Profit councillor Deirdre Wadding drew much laughter with her soundbite comment: ‘I’m not one to quote a pope but young people of Ireland, we love you!’
There was a 66.7% electoral turn-out in Wexford in the repeal referendum, compared to 59% for the amendment referendum of 1983 while the turn-out for the marriage equality referendum as 57.8%.
Among the local politicians who visited the count centre was Minister of State with responsibility for Defence Paul Kehoe who arrived with his seven-year old daughter to speak to count staff and campaigners.
Minister Kehoe declined to publicly outline his position on the referendum before polling day. ‘I didn’t declare and I won’t be declaring’, he said, before adding that he will be supporting abortion legislation.
’I think this has been the people’s referendum. I absolutely respect each and everyone’s decision in how they voted. I will be supporting the legislation. I hope the Government and the Oireachtas will now get on with it. I absolutely trust women 100% to make the right decisions for themselves. People have spoken for a resounding change and we have to respect that. As a country we have matured so much’.
‘I respect the people who came out and told their personal stories during the campaign. It was a clean campaign. I thought it would be a very divisive campaign but people were very respecful towards all sides’, he said.