Irish referendum on abortion to be held by end of May

The Irish Government has formally backed proposals to hold a referendum on the state’s constitutional amendment on abortion by the end of May.

Taoiseach Leo Varadkar said Ireland already had abortion, but it was unsafe, unregulated and unlawful.

“In my opinion we cannot continue to export our problems and import our solutions,” Mr Varadkar said.

He outlined the Government’s approach after a specially convened cabinet meeting in Government Buildings, Dublin, on Monday evening.

Voters will be asked whether they want to repeal the Eighth Amendment of the Constitution, which gives equal right to life to the mother and the unborn, and replace it with new wording to allow parliament to legislate on abortion in the future.

The Taoiseach said if people voted to repeal, the Government would then table draft legislation that would allow for unrestricted abortion up to 12 weeks into pregnancy.

(Left to right) Minister for Children and Youth Affairs Katherine Zappone, Taoiseach Leo Varadkar and Minister for Health Simon Harris brief the media on the government’s plans for a referendum on Ireland’s restrictive abortion laws, following a specially convened cabinet meeting at Government Buildings in Dublin.

Terminations are currently only allowed in the Irish Republic when the life of the mother is at risk and the…