On 8 March, a government referendum proposed to change the Irish Constitution by extending the definition of the family (Amendment 39) and replacing Article 41.2 on the work of mothers in the home with wording that diminished the State’s obligation to support caring in the home and outside (Amendment 40).

The government suffered a comprehensive defeat as both proposals were voted down by the electorate by a large margin. In the family referendum, the No vote was 67.7%; in the care referendum, the No vote was 73.9%. The latter is the highest ever No vote in a referendum in the history of the State. Read our statement on this outcome here.