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| Irish abortion referendum: New laws by end of the year - Irish PM | Irish abortion referendum: New laws by end of the year - Irish PM |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| A new abortion law will be in place by the end of the year, Irish Prime Minister Leo Varadkar has said. | |
| It follows a landslide vote in favour of repealing the Republic of Ireland's constitutional ban on abortion. | It follows a landslide vote in favour of repealing the Republic of Ireland's constitutional ban on abortion. |
| The proposed legislation will allow abortions during the first 12 weeks of pregnancy, and up to the 24th week in exceptional circumstances. | The proposed legislation will allow abortions during the first 12 weeks of pregnancy, and up to the 24th week in exceptional circumstances. |
| Irish Minister for Health Simon Harris will seek the cabinet's backing on Tuesday to draft the new legislation. | Irish Minister for Health Simon Harris will seek the cabinet's backing on Tuesday to draft the new legislation. |
| The result south of the border has shifted focus to Northern Ireland's similarly strict abortion laws, with UK Prime Minister Theresa May facing calls to act. | |
| Northern Ireland will soon become the only part of the UK and Ireland with an almost blanket ban on terminations. | |
| But Mrs May is in a difficult situation because her administration depends on the support of 10 Democratic Unionist Party MPs - who strongly oppose any reform. | |
| On Saturday, Penny Mordaunt - who is responsible for the women and equalities brief in government - said the referendum signalled a "historic and great day for Ireland" and a "hopeful one for Northern Ireland". | |
| Nicky Morgan and three other former holders of the women and equalities role - Amber Rudd, Justine Greening and Maria Miller - all back Ms Mordaunt's support for liberalising the laws in Northern Ireland, the Sunday Times reported. | |
| 'Into the light' | |
| Liberal Democrat leader Sir Vince Cable has said Mrs May should take advantage of the current lack of a devolved administration and push for reform from Westminster. | |
| "The position in Northern Ireland is now highly anomalous and I think, probably, action will now have to be taken," he said. | |
| At Dublin Castle on Saturday, Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald and her deputy Michelle O'Neill held up a sign saying "The north is next". | |
| On Sunday, Ms O'Neill said the referendum result showed there was a "real appetite for change on the island of Ireland". | |
| She also said the breakdown of government in Northern Ireland meant that alternative routes were needed to bring about reform. | |
| "I would prefer we had the institutions up, I want to be a legislator to deliver for the people but in the absence of having institutions we need to find a way to deliver people's rights," she added. | |
| She said the Irish abortion referendum result shows there is a "real appetite for change on the island of Ireland". | |
| More than two thirds of voters backed the decision to change the law in every constituency in the Republic of Ireland, with the exception of Donegal. | |
| The referendum delivered a conclusive consensus for reform among men and women, nearly all age groups and across most counties. | |
| The final figures were 66.4% in favour of the change and 33.6% voting no. | |
| Mr Varadkar said Saturday would be remembered as the day Ireland "embraced our responsibilities as citizens and as a country". | Mr Varadkar said Saturday would be remembered as the day Ireland "embraced our responsibilities as citizens and as a country". |
| "The day Ireland stepped out from under the last of our shadows and into the light," he added. | "The day Ireland stepped out from under the last of our shadows and into the light," he added. |
| "The day we came of age as a country. The day we took our place among the nations of the world." | "The day we came of age as a country. The day we took our place among the nations of the world." |
| The Eighth Amendment was inserted into the Irish constitution in 1983 and it gave an equal right to life to the unborn and the mother. | The Eighth Amendment was inserted into the Irish constitution in 1983 and it gave an equal right to life to the unborn and the mother. |
| Thousands of Irish women travelled to the UK every year for abortions, or sourced abortion pills. | Thousands of Irish women travelled to the UK every year for abortions, or sourced abortion pills. |
| Anti-abortion groups called the referendum result a ''tragedy of historic proportions'' with one saying it was already making plans to protest outside abortion clinics when they eventually open in Ireland. | Anti-abortion groups called the referendum result a ''tragedy of historic proportions'' with one saying it was already making plans to protest outside abortion clinics when they eventually open in Ireland. |