Irish voters repeal constitutional ban on abortions

DUBLIN: Ireland’s Minister for Children and Youth Affairs says she is grateful and emotional over the apparent decision of voters to repeal the constitutional ban on abortions in Friday’s landmark referendum.

Katherine Zappone said yesterday she is confident new abortion legislation can be approved by parliament and put in place before the end of the year.

“I’m especially grateful to the women of Ireland who came forward to provide their personal testimony about the hard times that they endured, the stress and the trauma that they experienced because the Eighth Amendment.”

The Eighth Amendment requires the authorities to treat a foetus and its mother as equals under the law, effectively banning abortions. Terminations are only allowed when a woman’s life is at risk.

Exit polls predict overwhelming support for the repeal of the constitutional ban. Officials results were expected late yesterday.

One of Ireland’s leading anti-abortion groups says the abortion referendum result is a “tragedy of historic proportions”, in a statement that all but admits defeat in of the historic vote.

Spokesperson John Mcguirk of the Save the 8th group – which refers to the Eighth Amendment in the constitution that bans abortions – told Irish television yesterday that many Irish citizens would not recognise the country they woke up in.

The official vote tally for Friday’s vote had not been finished but exit polls predicted a massive victory for repealing the constitutional ban.

Mcguirk said it would now be relatively easy for the government to pass more liberal abortion laws in the parliament.

“There is no prospect of the legislation not being passed.”the Irish Times and RTE television exit polls suggested the Irish people had voted to repeal a 1983 constitutional amendment that effectively banned abortions.

If the “yes” forces seeking a constitutional change prevail as the polls suggest, Ireland’s parliament will be charged with coming up with new abortion laws.

The government proposed to allow abortion in the first 12 weeks of pregnancy with later terminations allowed in some cases. – AP/ African News Agency/ana

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