Ireland to hold abortion referendum next year

IRELAND’S prime minister announced a referendum on whether to repeal the ban on abortion in nearly all cases yesterday, with the vote due to take place just a few weeks before a visit from the Pope.

Leo Varadkar said the referendum, likely to divide the country, would be held in May or June of 2018.

The following August the Pope will travel to Dublin to attend the World Meeting of Families, in what will be the first papal visit to the country since 1978.

Under the Irish constitution’s eighth amendment, abortion is illegal unless there is a real and substantial risk to the life of the mother. Mr Varadkar has previously criticised the amendment as “too restrictive,” though he is personally opposed to legalising abortions on demand.

Abortion has always been illegal in Ireland but was inserted into the constitution in 1983 following a referendum in which 67 per cent of voters were in favour and 33 per cent were against.

A woman convicted of having an illegal termination faces 14 years’ imprisonment, though they are free to travel abroad for abortions, and thousands do so every year, mainly to England.