Irish Voters Reject Prime Minister’s referendums on family and care

The Irish Prime Minister, who championed constitutional changes on family and care, faced a resounding defeat as voters rejected both referendums.

In two separate referendums, the first proposing an amendment to the definition of family in the Constitution and the second seeking to introduce a new article on the rights and duties of carers, both referendums were defeated by considerable margins. The first referendum was defeated by a vote of 58% to 42%, while the second referendum was rejected by 55% to 45%.

'The Government misjudged the mood of the electorate,' according to Senator Michael McDowell, as tallies from across the country show referendums on the issue of Family and Care look set to be comprehensively defeated | Follow live updates: https://t.co/7ac7kS3wlr pic.twitter.com/76c3GimtO6

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Leo Varadkar advocated that holding referendums was essential to modernize the Constitution and acknowledge the diversity in Irish families and carers. He also emphasized that the proposed changes would not affect existing laws or policies but would only serve as a foundation for future legislation.

Opposition parties, civil society groups, and religious leaders publicly opposed the referendums, claiming that the Taoiseach aimed to weaken the traditional family structure and the role of parents. They also expressed concerns about how the referendums could impact surrogacy, adoption, inheritance, and taxation.

The Referendum Commission announced the results of the referendums on Sunday morning. The turnout was 62%, slightly higher than the average for constitutional referenda in Ireland.

The Taoiseach, who had staked his political reputation on the outcome of the referendums, admitted that he was “deeply disappointed” by the results. He respected the people’s decision and would not pursue further constitutional changes.

The opposition leader, who had opposed the referendums, claimed the results showed the Taoiseach had lost the trust and confidence of the electorate due to his “radical agenda.”. He called on the Taoiseach to resign and to call a general election as soon as possible.