‘There should be a referendum next year,’ says Minster for Justice
Tánaiste and Minister for Justice Frances Fitzgerald has spoken out about the Citizens' Assembly decision to replace or amend the 8th amendment.
The Minister told RTÉ that 'the Constitution is not the place to deal with this very complex issue.'
'It's best dealt with between a woman and her doctors.'
#CitizensAssembly Result of Ballot 4B Reason 13 pic.twitter.com/cCOB4OvTAp
— Citizens' Assembly (@CitizAssembly) April 23, 2017
'But of course you also have to have an appropriate legislative basis. My own thinking is that there should be a referendum next year.'
'Over the next few months, the all-party Oireachtas committee will consider the Assembly's advice and refine it into a proposal that can be put to the people,' said Minister for Social Protection Leo Varadaker, in a statement obtained by RTÉ.
'I believe that once this has been done, a final proposal should be put in a referendum in 2018 so that the people can have their say.'
80% of people would vote yes in a referendum to #repealthe8th #citizensassembly pic.twitter.com/nN53RPghiR
— Amnesty Ireland (@AmnestyIreland) January 7, 2017
The Citizens' Assembly voted in favour of access to abortions without restrictions over the weekend.
Despite an Amnesty International Ireland poll which found that 80 per cent of Irish people would vote yes in a referendum to repeal the the 8th amendment, Pro Life Campaign spokesperson Cora Sherlock has said that 'it’s far from certain that it would pass.'
