In a surprising turn of events, Irish Prime Minister Leo Varadkar has conceded defeat in a recent vote over two constitutional amendments in Ireland. The proposed amendments were aimed at broadening the definition of family and recognizing women’s roles, but ultimately faced rejection from voters.
The first proposed amendment sought to expand the definition of family to include cohabiting couples and their children, while the second aimed to update language around a mother’s roles to “duties in the home” to recognize care providers. However, critics argued that the amendments fell short of providing a comprehensive definition of caretakers.
Law professor Siobhán Mullally criticized the amendments as a missed opportunity, stating that the concept of a “durable relationship” was unclear and that women and mothers were being excluded from the constitution. Varadkar himself acknowledged that the government had gotten the amendments wrong, referring to the vote as delivering “two wallops” to the government.
The rejection of these amendments comes at a time when Ireland has been undergoing a transformation from a conservative, Catholic country to a more socially liberal society. The proportion of Catholics in Ireland has decreased significantly over the years, from 94.9% in 1961 to 69% in 2022.
This recent vote marks another milestone in Ireland’s journey towards social progress, following previous referendums that legalized same-sex marriage in 2015 and abortion in 2018. As the country continues to evolve, it remains to be seen how the government will respond to the message sent by voters in this latest decision.
The Associated Press contributed to this report. Stay tuned for more updates on this developing story.
