The Social Democrats welcome today’s extraordinary and historic Yes vote for repeal of the Eighth Amendment as a mark of compassion and respect for women and women’s healthcare.
Speaking as tally results show a landslide Yes vote, the party’s co-leader Catherine Murphy TD said:
“We see today how the innate sense of decency of Irish people has shone through. It is remarkable to see the depth of understanding and compassion of Irish voters of all ages and backgrounds towards those among us who face difficult situations and decisions during pregnancies.
“The tallies from across the country show that people have turned out emphatically in support of taking the Eighth Amendment out of our Constitution. This resounding Yes result paves the way for care and dignity to be the hallmarks of our system of healthcare for women and girls.
“This referendum campaign has been transformative in tackling the secrecy and stigma around issues that women have had to endure in our society for far too long. So many brave people have shared their experiences with incredible dignity – and this has created a much deeper sense of understanding of the physical, emotional and financial harm that the Eighth Amendment has caused for the past thirty-five years.”
Party co-leader Róisín Shortall TD added:
“A new Ireland is clearly taking shape – one that is compassionate and progressive and mature. Today’s result is a significant milestone. As Social Democrats, we know there is much more to be done to build a modern secular republic that prioritises the welfare of citizens in all our laws and services on the basis of equality and fairness.
“We’d like to acknowledge the extraordinary work of the dedicated volunteers who campaigned for repeal up and down the country and helped bring compassion home.
“Soc Dems activists brought great energy and compassion to the grassroots campaign for repeal, working alongside members of political parties and other volunteers under the banner of Together for Yes. We thank you all and we look forward to continuing the work of building a better, fairer Ireland for all our people.”
26th May 2018