DUBLIN: Ireland Prime Minister Leo Varadkar announced on Saturday that a dual referendum in Ireland, aimed at redefining family and women’s roles in the constitution, has been defeated.
The government had backed the proposed changes, which sought to broaden the definition of family and update language regarding the duties of women in society.
“It’s clear at this stage that the family amendment and the care amendment referendums have been defeated,” Varadkar stated during a press conference in Dublin.
The votes mark the latest effort to reflect the evolving landscape of European Union member Ireland and the diminishing influence of the once-dominant Catholic Church.
By 1200 GMT, it became evident that the counting was trending towards a “No” on both questions concerning care and family. Varadkar noted that the referendums were “defeated comprehensively on a respectable turnout.”
“It was our responsibility to convince a majority of people to vote yes,” he acknowledged. “I think we struggled to convince people of the necessity or need for the referendum at all, let alone detail the wording.”
Ireland Referendum on Family and Women’s Roles
The proposed amendments aimed to modify Article 41 of the Irish constitution, written in 1937. The first sought to expand the definition of family to include “durable relationships” beyond those founded on marriage, while the second aimed to replace outdated language regarding a mother’s “duties in the home” with a clause recognizing care provided by family members.
Despite support from all major political parties for a “Yes-Yes” vote, opposition emerged. “No” campaigners raised concerns about the undefined nature of “durable relationships” and argued that the changes could lead to unintended consequences.
Sinn Fein leader Mary Lou McDonald criticized the government’s approach, stating that people were left with an “unbalanced decision” due to a lack of consultation with the opposition.
Deputy leader Micheal Martin highlighted that while the constitutional changes were rejected, the need for continued action to support families and uphold principles of equality remained unchallenged.
Final results from both votes are expected by late Saturday, with nearly 3.5 million people eligible to cast their ballots.
