The Eight Amendment will NOT get a referendum until 2018 (EARLIEST)

A referendum to repeal the Eight Amendment cannot be held until 2018 at the earliest after the Government reached a compromise yesterday… And it's a possible referendum at that.

Fine Gael and the Independent Alliance made an agreement on how to vote on the possible Bill, which is seeking to make abortion legal in Ireland.

The Citizen's Assembly has requested six months to work on the Bill, which they will then send on to an Oireachtas committee.

Fine Gael and Independence Alliance then agreed to an additional six months so the committee can complete their deliberations.

That will mean that a referendum, if proposed by the Citizen's Assembly, cannot be held until early 2018.

However, sources tell the Irish Times that the second half of 2018 will be more likely.