Voters in the Republic of Ireland have overwhelmingly voted against amending the Irish Constitution. Proposals to alter wording in the constitution to include families which are not based on marriage were defeated with 67.7% voting 'no'.

Dublin

Voters in the Republic of Ireland recently participated in a decision-making process concerning changes to the Irish Constitution's language regarding families. The proposition aimed to update the constitution to encompass families not formed through marriage. However, the response from the public was significantly against this proposal.

The final results showed a significant majority, with 67.7% of the voters opting against the amendment. This decision preserves the current constitutional wording that defines family structures, rejecting the inclusion of non-marriage based families within its framework.



Irish voters reject changes to family and care definition

In Ireland this weekend, no big crowds or scenes of celebration, as would be the case during momentous changes to the country's constitution. This time a dual referendum proposing changes to the family and women's roles in the constitution was rejected. Results showing the highest ever no-vote percentage in any Irish referendum. The constitution's definitions of the family and women's roles in society were considered outdated. Residents voted on a family referendum proposing to include unmarried couples living together with children to its definition of family, to which 67.69% voted no. The care referendum, replacing language defining a mother's duties at home, with the clause recognising care provided by all family members, was also rejected by 73.9% of voters. No campaigners argued the vote result was due to the unclear wording of the new proposed definitions and a low turnout in the referendum. Others were concerned that the care referendum would not do enough for those in need of care at home. The country of 5.3 million has made historic changes to their constitution, like legalising same-sex marriage in 2015 and abortion in 2018. The voting was seen as an attempt to project the image of a changing Ireland, decreasing the influence of the once-dominant Catholic Church. But party leaders say the government failed to convince voters and did not consult with the opposition or other stakeholders, despite major political parties supporting a yes-yes vote.

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