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{{Short description|Rejected proposal to amend the Irish Constitution relating to abortion}} |
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{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2016}} |
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{{Use |
{{Use dmy dates|date=June 2022}} |
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{{Use Hiberno-English|date=June 2022}} |
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The '''Twelfth Amendment''' was a failed proposal to amend the [[Constitution of Ireland]], to state that the risk of [[suicide]] should not be considered a sufficient reason to legally allow an [[abortion]]. It was rejected in a referendum on 25 November 1992. |
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{{merge|Thirteenth Amendment of the Constitution of Ireland|Fourteenth Amendment of the Constitution of Ireland|target=November 1992 Irish constitutional referendums|discuss=Talk:November 1992 Irish constitutional referendums#Merge|date=February 2024}} |
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{{Infobox referendum |
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The full title of the proposal was the '''Twelfth Amendment of the Constitution Bill, 1992'''. On the same day the "Thirteenth" and "Fourteenth Amendments" were approved. As these could not be renamed the number twelve has simply been 'skipped'. There has therefore officially been no successfully enacted "Twelfth Amendment" of the Irish constitution. |
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|name = Twelfth Amendment of the Constitution Bill 1992 |
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|title = To exclude the risk of suicide as sufficient reason to legally allow an abortion |
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|date = {{Start date|1992|11|25|df=y}} |
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|country = Ireland |
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|yes = 572,177 |
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|no = 1,079,297 |
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|total = 1,733,309 |
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|electorate = 2,542,841 |
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}} |
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The '''Twelfth Amendment of the Constitution Bill 1992''' ([[bill (law)|bill]] no. 24 of 1992) was a rejected proposal to [[Amendments to the Constitution of Ireland|amend]] the [[Constitution of Ireland]] to exclude the risk of [[suicide]] as sufficient reason to legally allow an [[abortion in the Republic of Ireland|abortion]]. It was [[November 1992 Irish constitutional referendum|one of three referendums on abortion]] held on 25 November 1992, the date of the [[1992 Irish general election|1992 general election]]. The [[Thirteenth Amendment of the Constitution of Ireland|Thirteenth]] and [[Fourteenth Amendment of the Constitution of Ireland|Fourteenth Amendments]] were approved. As these could not be renamed, there has been no enacted Twelfth Amendment of the Constitution. |
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==Proposed changes to the text== |
==Proposed changes to the text== |
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'''Proposed insertion of additional text to Article 40.3.3 |
'''Proposed insertion of additional text to Article 40.3.3°''': |
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{{ |
{{quote frame|It shall be unlawful to terminate the life of an unborn unless such termination is necessary to save the life, as distinct from the health, of the mother where there is an illness or disorder of the mother giving rise to a real and substantial risk to her life, not being a risk of self-destruction.}} |
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==Background== |
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The subsection relating to abortion had originally been added with the [[Eighth Amendment of the Constitution of Ireland|Eighth Amendment]] in 1983. After the rejection of the Twelfth Amendment, and the approval of the [[Thirteenth Amendment of the Constitution of Ireland|Thirteenth Amendment]] and the [[Fourteenth Amendment of the Constitution of Ireland|Fourteenth Amendment]], the full text of Article 40.3.3º read as the follows: |
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The [[Eighth Amendment of the Constitution of Ireland|Eighth Amendment]] passed in 1983 added the following text to the Constitution as Article 40.3.3°: |
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{{quote frame|The State acknowledges the right to life of the unborn and, with due regard to the equal right to life of the mother, guarantees in its laws to respect, and, as far as practicable, by its laws to defend and vindicate that right.}} |
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In March 1992, the Supreme Court held in ''[[Attorney General v. X]]'' (commonly known as the X Case), that a 14-year-old girl who had become pregnant as a result of rape could obtain an abortion in circumstances where there was a threat to her life from suicide. This amendment proposed that the possibility of suicide was not a sufficient threat to justify an abortion. The proposal was put to a referendum on 25 November 1992 but was rejected. |
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{{quotation|The State acknowledges the right to life of the unborn and, with due regard to the equal right to life of the mother, guarantees in its laws to respect, and, as far as practicable, by its laws to defend and vindicate that right. |
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On the same day, the [[Thirteenth Amendment of the Constitution of Ireland|Thirteenth Amendment]] and [[Thirteenth Amendment of the Constitution of Ireland|Fourteenth Amendment]] were approved by referendum. The former guaranteed [[Freedom of movement|freedom of travel]] abroad to obtain an abortion, and the latter, access to information in Ireland with respect to the same issue. The [[1992 Irish general election|1992 general election]] was held on the same date. |
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This subsection shall not limit freedom to travel between the State and another state. |
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==Passage through the Oireachtas== |
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This subsection shall not limit freedom to obtain or make available, in the State, subject to such conditions as may be laid down by law, information relating to services lawfully available in another state.}} |
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The Twelfth Amendment Bill was proposed in the Dáil by [[Minister for Justice (Ireland)|Minister for Justice]] [[Pádraig Flynn]].<ref>{{cite hansard|jurisdiction=Ireland|hansard=Dáil Debates|house=Dáil Éireann|title=Twelfth Amendment of the Constitution Bill 1992: Second Stage.|url=https://www.oireachtas.ie/en/debates/debate/dail/1992-10-20/21/|date=20 October 1992|speaker=[[Pádraig Flynn]]|position=Minister for Justice|volume=423|no=8|column=1893}} {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201219091534/https://www.oireachtas.ie/en/debates/debate/dail/1992-10-20/21/ |date=19 December 2020 }}</ref> The Amendment was approved by the Dáil on 27 October 1992:<ref>{{cite hansard|jurisdiction=Ireland|hansard=Dáil Debates|house=Dáil Éireann|title=Twelfth Amendment of the Constitution Bill 1992: Committee and Final Stages|url=https://www.oireachtas.ie/en/debates/debate/dail/1992-10-27/3/|date=27 October 1992|volume=424|no=4}} {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230716051442/https://www.oireachtas.ie/en/debates/debate/dail/1992-10-27/3/ |date=16 July 2023 }}</ref> |
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{| class="wikitable" |
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|- |
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| colspan="3" bgcolor="#C0C0C0" align="center" | Twelfth Amendment of the Constitution Bill 1992: Final Stages.<br />{{small|Absolute majority: 83/166}} |
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|- bgcolor="#D8D8D8" |
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| '''Vote''' |
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| '''Parties''' |
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| '''Votes''' |
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|- |
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|{{tick}} '''Yes''' || [[Fianna Fáil]] (63), [[Progressive Democrats]] (5) || {{Composition bar|68|166|hex=green}} |
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|- |
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| No || [[Fine Gael]] (35), [[Labour Party (Ireland)|Labour Party]] (13), [[Democratic Left (Ireland)|Democratic Left]] (6), [[Green Party (Ireland)|Green Party]] (1), [[Independent politician (Ireland)|Independent]] (2) || {{Composition bar|57|166|hex=red}} |
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|} |
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Fianna Fáil Senator [[Des Hanafin]], a member of the [[Pro Life Campaign]] (PLC), did not vote for the government wording. He proposed an amendment at committee stage proposing the wording supported by the PLC: |
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==Overview== |
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{{quote frame|It shall be unlawful to act in such a way as to bring about the termination of the life of an unborn unless such termination arises indirectly as a side-effect of treatment designed to protect the life of the mother.}} |
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The [[referendum]] in November 1992 was largely in response to ''[[Attorney General v. X]]'' (more commonly known as the "X case"), in which the state initially obtained an injunction preventing a 14-year-old girl who had become pregnant from [[rape]] was threatened with legal action for travelling to the [[England]] to obtain an abortion, but which was lifted as there was a threat to her life from suicide. It proposed that the possibility of suicide was not a sufficient threat to justify an abortion. The proposal was put to a referendum on 25 November 1992 but was rejected. |
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This wording was not voted on, and the bill was approved by the Seanad on 30 October 1992.<ref>{{cite hansard|jurisdiction=Ireland|hansard=Seanad Debates|house=Seanad Éireann|title=Twelfth Amendment of the Constitution Bill 1992: Committee and Final Stages|url=https://www.oireachtas.ie/en/debates/debate/seanad/1992-10-30/6/|date=30 October 1992|volume=134|no=8}} {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201222031725/https://www.oireachtas.ie/en/debates/debate/seanad/1992-10-30/6/ |date=22 December 2020 }}</ref> |
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{| class="wikitable" |
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On the same day, the [[Thirteenth Amendment of the Constitution of Ireland|Thirteenth Amendment]] and [[Thirteenth Amendment of the Constitution of Ireland|Fourteenth Amendment]] were approved by referendum. The former guaranteed [[Freedom of movement|freedom of travel]] abroad to obtain an abortion, and the latter, access to information with respect to the same issue. |
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|- |
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| colspan="3" bgcolor="#C0C0C0" align="center" | Twelfth Amendment of the Constitution Bill 1992: Final Stages.<br />{{small|Absolute majority: 31/60}} |
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In 2002 a second failed attempt was made to rule out the risk of suicide as grounds for an abortion. This was the proposed [[Twenty-fifth Amendment of the Constitution Bill, 2002|Twenty-fifth Amendment]], which was also rejected in a referendum, but by a much narrower margin. |
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|- bgcolor="#D8D8D8" |
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| '''Vote''' |
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| '''Parties''' |
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| '''Votes''' |
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|- |
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|{{tick}} '''Yes''' || [[Fianna Fáil]] (26) || {{Composition bar|26|60|hex=green}} |
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|- |
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| No || [[Fine Gael]] (11), [[Labour Party (Ireland)|Labour Party]] (2), [[Independent politician (Ireland)|Independent]] (3) || {{Composition bar|17|60|hex=red}} |
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|} |
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==Result== |
==Result== |
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The amendment was put to a referendum on 25 November, where it was rejected. |
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{{Referendum |
{{Referendum |
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|title |
|title = Twelfth Amendment of the Constitution of Ireland Bill 1992<ref name=Ref_results>{{cite web|url=https://www.gov.ie/pdf/?file=https://assets.gov.ie/130420/f956fce2-ac22-465a-b6c0-7f4289be27f8.pdf#page=46|title=Referendum Results|page=46|work=[[Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government]]|accessdate=27 January 2024|archive-date=22 January 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230122160624/https://www.gov.ie/pdf/?file=https://assets.gov.ie/130420/f956fce2-ac22-465a-b6c0-7f4289be27f8.pdf#page=46|url-status=live}}</ref> |
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|no = 1,079,297 |
|no = 1,079,297 |
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|nopct = 65.35 |
|nopct = 65.35 |
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|electorate = 2,542,841 |
|electorate = 2,542,841 |
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}} |
}} |
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{{clear}} |
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{|class="wikitable sortable" |
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|+Results by constituency<ref name=Ref_results/> |
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|- |
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! rowspan=2 | Constituency |
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! rowspan=2 | Electorate |
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! rowspan=2 | {{nowrap|Turnout (%)}} |
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! colspan=2 | Votes |
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! colspan=2 | Proportion of votes |
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|- |
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! Yes |
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! No |
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! Yes |
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! No |
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|- |
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| style="background:#ffc8c8;"| [[Carlow–Kilkenny (Dáil constituency)|Carlow–Kilkenny]] |
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| style="text-align: right;" | 81,192 |
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| style="text-align: right;" | 69.2% |
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| style="text-align: right;" | 20,130 |
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| style="text-align: right;" | '''32,900''' |
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| style="text-align: right;" | 38.0% |
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| style="text-align: right; background:#ffc8c8;" | '''62.0%''' |
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|- |
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| style="background:#ffc8c8;"| [[Cavan–Monaghan (Dáil constituency)|Cavan–Monaghan]] |
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| style="text-align: right;" | 79,004 |
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| style="text-align: right;" | 70.3% |
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| style="text-align: right;" | 20,494 |
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| style="text-align: right;" | '''31,290''' |
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| style="text-align: right;" | 39.6% |
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| style="text-align: right; background:#ffc8c8;" | '''60.4%''' |
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|- |
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| style="background:#ffc8c8;"| [[Clare (Dáil constituency)|Clare]] |
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| style="text-align: right;" | 65,579 |
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| style="text-align: right;" | 67.9% |
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| style="text-align: right;" | 15,504 |
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| style="text-align: right;" | '''26,251''' |
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| style="text-align: right;" | 37.1% |
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| style="text-align: right; background:#ffc8c8;" | '''62.9%''' |
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|- |
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| style="background:#ffc8c8;"| [[Cork East (Dáil constituency)|Cork East]] |
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| style="text-align: right;" | 58,160 |
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| style="text-align: right;" | 71.9% |
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| style="text-align: right;" | 12,684 |
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| style="text-align: right;" | '''27,210''' |
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| style="text-align: right;" | 31.8% |
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| style="text-align: right; background:#ffc8c8;" | '''68.2%''' |
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|- |
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| style="background:#ffc8c8;"| [[Cork North-Central (Dáil constituency)|Cork North-Central]] |
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| style="text-align: right;" | 68,209 |
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| style="text-align: right;" | 66.6% |
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| style="text-align: right;" | 13,876 |
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| style="text-align: right;" | '''30,024''' |
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| style="text-align: right;" | 31.6% |
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| style="text-align: right; background:#ffc8c8;" | '''68.4%''' |
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|- |
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| style="background:#ffc8c8;"| [[Cork North-West (Dáil constituency)|Cork North-West]] |
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| style="text-align: right;" | 44,578 |
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| style="text-align: right;" | 75.4% |
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| style="text-align: right;" | 9,346 |
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| style="text-align: right;" | '''22,225''' |
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| style="text-align: right;" | 29.6% |
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| style="text-align: right; background:#ffc8c8;" | '''70.4%''' |
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|- |
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| style="background:#ffc8c8;"| [[Cork South-Central (Dáil constituency)|Cork South-Central]] |
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| style="text-align: right;" | 75,747 |
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| style="text-align: right;" | 71.1% |
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| style="text-align: right;" | 16,862 |
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| style="text-align: right;" | '''35,224''' |
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| style="text-align: right;" | 32.4% |
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| style="text-align: right; background:#ffc8c8;" | '''67.6%''' |
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|- |
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| style="background:#ffc8c8;"| [[Cork South-West (Dáil constituency)|Cork South-West]] |
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| style="text-align: right;" | 44,627 |
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| style="text-align: right;" | 73.8% |
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| style="text-align: right;" | 9,954 |
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| style="text-align: right;" | '''20,638''' |
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| style="text-align: right;" | 32.5% |
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| style="text-align: right; background:#ffc8c8;" | '''67.5%''' |
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|- |
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| style="background:#ffc8c8;"| [[Donegal North-East (Dáil constituency)|Donegal North-East]] |
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| style="text-align: right;" | 46,934 |
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| style="text-align: right;" | 67.3% |
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| style="text-align: right;" | 8,313 |
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| style="text-align: right;" | '''21,496''' |
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| style="text-align: right;" | 27.9% |
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| style="text-align: right; background:#ffc8c8;" | '''72.1%''' |
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|- |
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| style="background:#ffc8c8;"| [[Donegal South-West (Dáil constituency)|Donegal South-West]] |
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| style="text-align: right;" | 48,494 |
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| style="text-align: right;" | 62.2% |
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| style="text-align: right;" | 8,623 |
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| style="text-align: right;" | '''19,666''' |
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| style="text-align: right;" | 30.5% |
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| style="text-align: right; background:#ffc8c8;" | '''69.5%''' |
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|- |
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| style="background:#ffc8c8;"| [[Dublin Central (Dáil constituency)|Dublin Central]] |
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| style="text-align: right;" | 59,941 |
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| style="text-align: right;" | 61.3% |
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| style="text-align: right;" | 11,557 |
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| style="text-align: right;" | '''23,922''' |
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| style="text-align: right;" | 32.6% |
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| style="text-align: right; background:#ffc8c8;" | '''67.4%''' |
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|- |
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| style="background:#ffc8c8;"| [[Dublin North (Dáil constituency)|Dublin North]] |
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| style="text-align: right;" | 62,917 |
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| style="text-align: right;" | 69.0% |
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| style="text-align: right;" | 16,037 |
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| style="text-align: right;" | '''26,309''' |
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| style="text-align: right;" | 37.9% |
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| style="text-align: right; background:#ffc8c8;" | '''62.1%''' |
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|- |
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| style="background:#ffc8c8;"| [[Dublin North-Central (Dáil constituency)|Dublin North-Central]] |
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| style="text-align: right;" | 64,349 |
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| style="text-align: right;" | 71.8% |
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| style="text-align: right;" | 14,302 |
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| style="text-align: right;" | '''30,815''' |
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| style="text-align: right;" | 31.7% |
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| style="text-align: right; background:#ffc8c8;" | '''68.3%''' |
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|- |
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| style="background:#ffc8c8;"| [[Dublin North-East (Dáil constituency)|Dublin North-East]] |
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| style="text-align: right;" | 57,888 |
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| style="text-align: right;" | 69.7% |
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| style="text-align: right;" | 14,329 |
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| style="text-align: right;" | '''25,220''' |
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| style="text-align: right;" | 36.2% |
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| style="text-align: right; background:#ffc8c8;" | '''63.8%''' |
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|- |
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| style="background:#ffc8c8;"| [[Dublin North-West (Dáil constituency)|Dublin North-West]] |
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| style="text-align: right;" | 57,951 |
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| style="text-align: right;" | 65.3% |
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| style="text-align: right;" | 12,485 |
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| style="text-align: right;" | '''24,251''' |
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| style="text-align: right;" | 34.0% |
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| style="text-align: right; background:#ffc8c8;" | '''66.0%''' |
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|- |
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| style="background:#ffc8c8;"| [[Dublin South (Dáil constituency)|Dublin South]] |
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| style="text-align: right;" | 84,767 |
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| style="text-align: right;" | 70.5% |
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| style="text-align: right;" | 15,976 |
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| style="text-align: right;" | '''42,424''' |
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| style="text-align: right;" | 27.4% |
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| style="text-align: right; background:#ffc8c8;" | '''72.6%''' |
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|- |
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| style="background:#ffc8c8;"| [[Dublin South-Central (Dáil constituency)|Dublin South-Central]] |
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| style="text-align: right;" | 63,316 |
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| style="text-align: right;" | 64.4% |
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| style="text-align: right;" | 12,656 |
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| style="text-align: right;" | '''27,164''' |
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| style="text-align: right;" | 31.8% |
|||
| style="text-align: right; background:#ffc8c8;" | '''68.2%''' |
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|- |
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| style="background:#ffc8c8;"| [[Dublin South-East (Dáil constituency)|Dublin South-East]] |
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| style="text-align: right;" | 68,366 |
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| style="text-align: right;" | 58.9% |
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| style="text-align: right;" | 10,361 |
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| style="text-align: right;" | '''29,097''' |
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| style="text-align: right;" | 26.3% |
|||
| style="text-align: right; background:#ffc8c8;" | '''73.7%''' |
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|- |
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| style="background:#ffc8c8;"| [[Dublin South-West (Dáil constituency)|Dublin South-West]] |
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| style="text-align: right;" | 69,654 |
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| style="text-align: right;" | 61.9% |
|||
| style="text-align: right;" | 16,832 |
|||
| style="text-align: right;" | '''25,330''' |
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| style="text-align: right;" | 39.9% |
|||
| style="text-align: right; background:#ffc8c8;" | '''60.1%''' |
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|- |
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| style="background:#ffc8c8;"| [[Dublin West (Dáil constituency)|Dublin West]] |
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| style="text-align: right;" | 57,755 |
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| style="text-align: right;" | 65.0% |
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| style="text-align: right;" | 14,461 |
|||
| style="text-align: right;" | '''22,258''' |
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| style="text-align: right;" | 39.4% |
|||
| style="text-align: right; background:#ffc8c8;" | '''60.6%''' |
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|- |
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| style="background:#ffc8c8;"| [[Dún Laoghaire (Dáil constituency)|Dún Laoghaire]] |
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| style="text-align: right;" | 85,924 |
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| style="text-align: right;" | 68.7% |
|||
| style="text-align: right;" | 17,284 |
|||
| style="text-align: right;" | '''40,503''' |
|||
| style="text-align: right;" | 29.9% |
|||
| style="text-align: right; background:#ffc8c8;" | '''70.1%''' |
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|- |
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| style="background:#ffc8c8;"| [[Galway East (Dáil constituency)|Galway East]] |
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| style="text-align: right;" | 42,604 |
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| style="text-align: right;" | 68.8% |
|||
| style="text-align: right;" | 10,364 |
|||
| style="text-align: right;" | '''16,832''' |
|||
| style="text-align: right;" | 38.1% |
|||
| style="text-align: right; background:#ffc8c8;" | '''61.9%''' |
|||
|- |
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| style="background:#ffc8c8;"| [[Galway West (Dáil constituency)|Galway West]] |
|||
| style="text-align: right;" | 78,539 |
|||
| style="text-align: right;" | 63.7% |
|||
| style="text-align: right;" | 15,557 |
|||
| style="text-align: right;" | '''31,337''' |
|||
| style="text-align: right;" | 33.2% |
|||
| style="text-align: right; background:#ffc8c8;" | '''66.8%''' |
|||
|- |
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| style="background:#ffc8c8;"| [[Kerry North (Dáil constituency)|Kerry North]] |
|||
| style="text-align: right;" | 48,606 |
|||
| style="text-align: right;" | 69.6% |
|||
| style="text-align: right;" | 9,885 |
|||
| style="text-align: right;" | '''21,464''' |
|||
| style="text-align: right;" | 31.5% |
|||
| style="text-align: right; background:#ffc8c8;" | '''68.5%''' |
|||
|- |
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| style="background:#ffc8c8;"| [[Kerry South (Dáil constituency)|Kerry South]] |
|||
| style="text-align: right;" | 44,034 |
|||
| style="text-align: right;" | 70.1% |
|||
| style="text-align: right;" | 10,370 |
|||
| style="text-align: right;" | '''17,861''' |
|||
| style="text-align: right;" | 36.7% |
|||
| style="text-align: right; background:#ffc8c8;" | '''63.3%''' |
|||
|- |
|||
| style="background:#ffc8c8;"| [[Kildare (Dáil constituency)|Kildare]] |
|||
| style="text-align: right;" | 77,798 |
|||
| style="text-align: right;" | 65.3% |
|||
| style="text-align: right;" | 19,187 |
|||
| style="text-align: right;" | '''29,873''' |
|||
| style="text-align: right;" | 39.1% |
|||
| style="text-align: right; background:#ffc8c8;" | '''60.9%''' |
|||
|- |
|||
| style="background:#ffc8c8;"| [[Laois–Offaly (Dáil constituency)|Laois–Offaly]] |
|||
| style="text-align: right;" | 77,226 |
|||
| style="text-align: right;" | 70.2% |
|||
| style="text-align: right;" | 18,915 |
|||
| style="text-align: right;" | '''31,947''' |
|||
| style="text-align: right;" | 37.2% |
|||
| style="text-align: right; background:#ffc8c8;" | '''62.8%''' |
|||
|- |
|||
| style="background:#ffc8c8;"| [[Limerick East (Dáil constituency)|Limerick East]] |
|||
| style="text-align: right;" | 71,004 |
|||
| style="text-align: right;" | 68.6% |
|||
| style="text-align: right;" | 14,799 |
|||
| style="text-align: right;" | '''31,800''' |
|||
| style="text-align: right;" | 31.8% |
|||
| style="text-align: right; background:#ffc8c8;" | '''68.2%''' |
|||
|- |
|||
| style="background:#ffc8c8;"| [[Limerick West (Dáil constituency)|Limerick West]] |
|||
| style="text-align: right;" | 44,768 |
|||
| style="text-align: right;" | 71.3% |
|||
| style="text-align: right;" | 9,086 |
|||
| style="text-align: right;" | '''20,581''' |
|||
| style="text-align: right;" | 30.6% |
|||
| style="text-align: right; background:#ffc8c8;" | '''69.4%''' |
|||
|- |
|||
| style="background:#ffc8c8;"| [[Longford–Roscommon (Dáil constituency)|Longford–Roscommon]] |
|||
| style="text-align: right;" | 60,452 |
|||
| style="text-align: right;" | 74.9% |
|||
| style="text-align: right;" | 16,155 |
|||
| style="text-align: right;" | '''25,701''' |
|||
| style="text-align: right;" | 38.6% |
|||
| style="text-align: right; background:#ffc8c8;" | '''61.4%''' |
|||
|- |
|||
| style="background:#ffc8c8;"| [[Louth (Dáil constituency)|Louth]] |
|||
| style="text-align: right;" | 65,666 |
|||
| style="text-align: right;" | 67.3% |
|||
| style="text-align: right;" | 16,509 |
|||
| style="text-align: right;" | '''25,999''' |
|||
| style="text-align: right;" | 38.8% |
|||
| style="text-align: right; background:#ffc8c8;" | '''61.2%''' |
|||
|- |
|||
| style="background:#ffc8c8;"| [[Mayo East (Dáil constituency)|Mayo East]] |
|||
| style="text-align: right;" | 43,392 |
|||
| style="text-align: right;" | 68.0% |
|||
| style="text-align: right;" | 10,055 |
|||
| style="text-align: right;" | '''17,044''' |
|||
| style="text-align: right;" | 37.1% |
|||
| style="text-align: right; background:#ffc8c8;" | '''62.9%''' |
|||
|- |
|||
| style="background:#ffc8c8;"| [[Mayo West (Dáil constituency)|Mayo West]] |
|||
| style="text-align: right;" | 43,407 |
|||
| style="text-align: right;" | 68.4% |
|||
| style="text-align: right;" | 11,009 |
|||
| style="text-align: right;" | '''16,165''' |
|||
| style="text-align: right;" | 40.5% |
|||
| style="text-align: right; background:#ffc8c8;" | '''59.5%''' |
|||
|- |
|||
| style="background:#ffc8c8;"| [[Meath (Dáil constituency)|Meath]] |
|||
| style="text-align: right;" | 77,900 |
|||
| style="text-align: right;" | 66.0% |
|||
| style="text-align: right;" | 19,570 |
|||
| style="text-align: right;" | '''29,688''' |
|||
| style="text-align: right;" | 39.7% |
|||
| style="text-align: right; background:#ffc8c8;" | '''60.3%''' |
|||
|- |
|||
| style="background:#ffc8c8;"| [[Sligo–Leitrim (Dáil constituency)|Sligo–Leitrim]] |
|||
| style="text-align: right;" | 60,675 |
|||
| style="text-align: right;" | 70.5% |
|||
| style="text-align: right;" | 14,817 |
|||
| style="text-align: right;" | '''24,887''' |
|||
| style="text-align: right;" | 37.3% |
|||
| style="text-align: right; background:#ffc8c8;" | '''62.7%''' |
|||
|- |
|||
| style="background:#ffc8c8;"| [[Tipperary North (Dáil constituency)|Tipperary North]] |
|||
| style="text-align: right;" | 42,633 |
|||
| style="text-align: right;" | 74.9% |
|||
| style="text-align: right;" | 10,102 |
|||
| style="text-align: right;" | '''19,693''' |
|||
| style="text-align: right;" | 33.9% |
|||
| style="text-align: right; background:#ffc8c8;" | '''66.1%''' |
|||
|- |
|||
| style="background:#ffc8c8;"| [[Tipperary South (Dáil constituency)|Tipperary South]] |
|||
| style="text-align: right;" | 56,705 |
|||
| style="text-align: right;" | 70.3% |
|||
| style="text-align: right;" | 12,713 |
|||
| style="text-align: right;" | '''24,952''' |
|||
| style="text-align: right;" | 33.7% |
|||
| style="text-align: right; background:#ffc8c8;" | '''66.3%''' |
|||
|- |
|||
| style="background:#ffc8c8;"| [[Waterford (Dáil constituency)|Waterford]] |
|||
| style="text-align: right;" | 63,692 |
|||
| style="text-align: right;" | 67.7% |
|||
| style="text-align: right;" | 13,372 |
|||
| style="text-align: right;" | '''27,852''' |
|||
| style="text-align: right;" | 32.4% |
|||
| style="text-align: right; background:#ffc8c8;" | '''67.6%''' |
|||
|- |
|||
| style="background:#ffc8c8;"| [[Westmeath (Dáil constituency)|Westmeath]] |
|||
| style="text-align: right;" | 46,128 |
|||
| style="text-align: right;" | 67.0% |
|||
| style="text-align: right;" | 10,901 |
|||
| style="text-align: right;" | '''18,340''' |
|||
| style="text-align: right;" | 37.3% |
|||
| style="text-align: right; background:#ffc8c8;" | '''62.7%''' |
|||
|- |
|||
| style="background:#ffc8c8;"| [[Wexford (Dáil constituency)|Wexford]] |
|||
| style="text-align: right;" | 75,553 |
|||
| style="text-align: right;" | 69.6% |
|||
| style="text-align: right;" | 18,421 |
|||
| style="text-align: right;" | '''31,371''' |
|||
| style="text-align: right;" | 37.0% |
|||
| style="text-align: right; background:#ffc8c8;" | '''63.0%''' |
|||
|- |
|||
| style="background:#ffc8c8;"| [[Wicklow (Dáil constituency)|Wicklow]] |
|||
| style="text-align: right;" | 76,707 |
|||
| style="text-align: right;" | 67.8% |
|||
| style="text-align: right;" | 18,324 |
|||
| style="text-align: right;" | '''31,693''' |
|||
| style="text-align: right;" | 36.6% |
|||
| style="text-align: right; background:#ffc8c8;" | '''63.4%''' |
|||
|- class="sortbottom" style="font-weight:bold; background:rgb(232,232,232);" |
|||
| Total |
|||
| style="text-align: right;" | 2,542,841 |
|||
| style="text-align: right;" | 68.2% |
|||
| style="text-align: right;" | 572,177 |
|||
| style="text-align: right;" | 1,079,297 |
|||
| style="text-align: right;" | 34.7% |
|||
| style="text-align: right;" | 65.3% |
|||
|} |
|||
==Later developments== |
|||
No legislation was enacted in the aftermath of this defeated referendum. In 2002, the proposed [[Twenty-fifth Amendment of the Constitution Bill 2002|Twenty-fifth Amendment]] would have similarly excluded the risk of suicide as grounds for an abortion. On this occasion, the government proposal did have the support of the [[Pro Life Campaign]]. This too was rejected in a referendum, but by a much narrower margin. |
|||
The [[European Court of Human Rights]] found against the state in ''[[A, B and C v Ireland]]'' (2010). The government responded to this with the enactment of the [[Protection of Life During Pregnancy Act 2013]], which provided for abortion in the cases where there was a risk to the life of the woman, including from a risk of suicide. |
|||
==See also== |
|||
*[[Constitutional amendment]] |
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*[[History of the Republic of Ireland]] |
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*[[Irish constitutional referendum, November 1992]] |
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*[[Politics of the Republic of Ireland]] |
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==References== |
==References== |
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==External links== |
==External links== |
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*[ |
*[https://www.irishstatutebook.ie/eli/1992/act/22/enacted/en/html Referendum (Amendment) (No. 2) Act, 1992] |
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*[ |
*[https://www.irishstatutebook.ie/eli/cons/en/html Full text of the Constitution of Ireland] |
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{{Amendments of the Constitution of Ireland}} |
{{Amendments of the Constitution of Ireland}} |
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{{Abortion in the Republic of Ireland}} |
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{{DEFAULTSORT: |
{{DEFAULTSORT:12th Amendment Of The Constitution Bill 1992}} |
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[[Category:1992 in Irish law]] |
[[Category:1992 in Irish law]] |
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[[Category:1992 in Irish politics]] |
[[Category:1992 in Irish politics]] |
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[[Category:Failed amendments of the Constitution of Ireland|12]] |
[[Category:Failed amendments of the Constitution of Ireland|12]] |
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[[Category:Irish abortion law|12]] |
[[Category:Irish abortion law|12]] |
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[[Category: |
[[Category:Constitutional referendums in the Republic of Ireland|12]] |
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[[Category: |
[[Category:Irish abortion referendums]] |
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[[Category:November 1992 events in Europe]] |
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[[Category:1990s elections in Ireland|Amendment, 12]] |
Latest revision as of 10:57, 5 February 2024
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To exclude the risk of suicide as sufficient reason to legally allow an abortion | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Results | ||||||||||||||||||||||
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The Twelfth Amendment of the Constitution Bill 1992 (bill no. 24 of 1992) was a rejected proposal to amend the Constitution of Ireland to exclude the risk of suicide as sufficient reason to legally allow an abortion. It was one of three referendums on abortion held on 25 November 1992, the date of the 1992 general election. The Thirteenth and Fourteenth Amendments were approved. As these could not be renamed, there has been no enacted Twelfth Amendment of the Constitution.
Proposed changes to the text
Proposed insertion of additional text to Article 40.3.3°:
It shall be unlawful to terminate the life of an unborn unless such termination is necessary to save the life, as distinct from the health, of the mother where there is an illness or disorder of the mother giving rise to a real and substantial risk to her life, not being a risk of self-destruction.
Background
The Eighth Amendment passed in 1983 added the following text to the Constitution as Article 40.3.3°:
The State acknowledges the right to life of the unborn and, with due regard to the equal right to life of the mother, guarantees in its laws to respect, and, as far as practicable, by its laws to defend and vindicate that right.
In March 1992, the Supreme Court held in Attorney General v. X (commonly known as the X Case), that a 14-year-old girl who had become pregnant as a result of rape could obtain an abortion in circumstances where there was a threat to her life from suicide. This amendment proposed that the possibility of suicide was not a sufficient threat to justify an abortion. The proposal was put to a referendum on 25 November 1992 but was rejected.
On the same day, the Thirteenth Amendment and Fourteenth Amendment were approved by referendum. The former guaranteed freedom of travel abroad to obtain an abortion, and the latter, access to information in Ireland with respect to the same issue. The 1992 general election was held on the same date.
Passage through the Oireachtas
The Twelfth Amendment Bill was proposed in the Dáil by Minister for Justice Pádraig Flynn.[1] The Amendment was approved by the Dáil on 27 October 1992:[2]
Twelfth Amendment of the Constitution Bill 1992: Final Stages. Absolute majority: 83/166 | ||
Vote | Parties | Votes |
Yes | Fianna Fáil (63), Progressive Democrats (5) | 68 / 166
|
No | Fine Gael (35), Labour Party (13), Democratic Left (6), Green Party (1), Independent (2) | 57 / 166
|
Fianna Fáil Senator Des Hanafin, a member of the Pro Life Campaign (PLC), did not vote for the government wording. He proposed an amendment at committee stage proposing the wording supported by the PLC:
It shall be unlawful to act in such a way as to bring about the termination of the life of an unborn unless such termination arises indirectly as a side-effect of treatment designed to protect the life of the mother.
This wording was not voted on, and the bill was approved by the Seanad on 30 October 1992.[3]
Twelfth Amendment of the Constitution Bill 1992: Final Stages. Absolute majority: 31/60 | ||
Vote | Parties | Votes |
Yes | Fianna Fáil (26) | 26 / 60
|
No | Fine Gael (11), Labour Party (2), Independent (3) | 17 / 60
|
Result
The amendment was put to a referendum on 25 November, where it was rejected.
Choice | Votes | % |
---|---|---|
No | 1,079,297 | 65.35 |
Yes | 572,177 | 34.65 |
Valid votes | 1,651,474 | 95.28 |
Invalid or blank votes | 81,835 | 4.72 |
Total votes | 1,733,309 | 100.00 |
Registered voters/turnout | 2,542,841 | 68.16 |
Constituency | Electorate | Turnout (%) | Votes | Proportion of votes | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Yes | No | Yes | No | |||
Carlow–Kilkenny | 81,192 | 69.2% | 20,130 | 32,900 | 38.0% | 62.0% |
Cavan–Monaghan | 79,004 | 70.3% | 20,494 | 31,290 | 39.6% | 60.4% |
Clare | 65,579 | 67.9% | 15,504 | 26,251 | 37.1% | 62.9% |
Cork East | 58,160 | 71.9% | 12,684 | 27,210 | 31.8% | 68.2% |
Cork North-Central | 68,209 | 66.6% | 13,876 | 30,024 | 31.6% | 68.4% |
Cork North-West | 44,578 | 75.4% | 9,346 | 22,225 | 29.6% | 70.4% |
Cork South-Central | 75,747 | 71.1% | 16,862 | 35,224 | 32.4% | 67.6% |
Cork South-West | 44,627 | 73.8% | 9,954 | 20,638 | 32.5% | 67.5% |
Donegal North-East | 46,934 | 67.3% | 8,313 | 21,496 | 27.9% | 72.1% |
Donegal South-West | 48,494 | 62.2% | 8,623 | 19,666 | 30.5% | 69.5% |
Dublin Central | 59,941 | 61.3% | 11,557 | 23,922 | 32.6% | 67.4% |
Dublin North | 62,917 | 69.0% | 16,037 | 26,309 | 37.9% | 62.1% |
Dublin North-Central | 64,349 | 71.8% | 14,302 | 30,815 | 31.7% | 68.3% |
Dublin North-East | 57,888 | 69.7% | 14,329 | 25,220 | 36.2% | 63.8% |
Dublin North-West | 57,951 | 65.3% | 12,485 | 24,251 | 34.0% | 66.0% |
Dublin South | 84,767 | 70.5% | 15,976 | 42,424 | 27.4% | 72.6% |
Dublin South-Central | 63,316 | 64.4% | 12,656 | 27,164 | 31.8% | 68.2% |
Dublin South-East | 68,366 | 58.9% | 10,361 | 29,097 | 26.3% | 73.7% |
Dublin South-West | 69,654 | 61.9% | 16,832 | 25,330 | 39.9% | 60.1% |
Dublin West | 57,755 | 65.0% | 14,461 | 22,258 | 39.4% | 60.6% |
Dún Laoghaire | 85,924 | 68.7% | 17,284 | 40,503 | 29.9% | 70.1% |
Galway East | 42,604 | 68.8% | 10,364 | 16,832 | 38.1% | 61.9% |
Galway West | 78,539 | 63.7% | 15,557 | 31,337 | 33.2% | 66.8% |
Kerry North | 48,606 | 69.6% | 9,885 | 21,464 | 31.5% | 68.5% |
Kerry South | 44,034 | 70.1% | 10,370 | 17,861 | 36.7% | 63.3% |
Kildare | 77,798 | 65.3% | 19,187 | 29,873 | 39.1% | 60.9% |
Laois–Offaly | 77,226 | 70.2% | 18,915 | 31,947 | 37.2% | 62.8% |
Limerick East | 71,004 | 68.6% | 14,799 | 31,800 | 31.8% | 68.2% |
Limerick West | 44,768 | 71.3% | 9,086 | 20,581 | 30.6% | 69.4% |
Longford–Roscommon | 60,452 | 74.9% | 16,155 | 25,701 | 38.6% | 61.4% |
Louth | 65,666 | 67.3% | 16,509 | 25,999 | 38.8% | 61.2% |
Mayo East | 43,392 | 68.0% | 10,055 | 17,044 | 37.1% | 62.9% |
Mayo West | 43,407 | 68.4% | 11,009 | 16,165 | 40.5% | 59.5% |
Meath | 77,900 | 66.0% | 19,570 | 29,688 | 39.7% | 60.3% |
Sligo–Leitrim | 60,675 | 70.5% | 14,817 | 24,887 | 37.3% | 62.7% |
Tipperary North | 42,633 | 74.9% | 10,102 | 19,693 | 33.9% | 66.1% |
Tipperary South | 56,705 | 70.3% | 12,713 | 24,952 | 33.7% | 66.3% |
Waterford | 63,692 | 67.7% | 13,372 | 27,852 | 32.4% | 67.6% |
Westmeath | 46,128 | 67.0% | 10,901 | 18,340 | 37.3% | 62.7% |
Wexford | 75,553 | 69.6% | 18,421 | 31,371 | 37.0% | 63.0% |
Wicklow | 76,707 | 67.8% | 18,324 | 31,693 | 36.6% | 63.4% |
Total | 2,542,841 | 68.2% | 572,177 | 1,079,297 | 34.7% | 65.3% |
Later developments
No legislation was enacted in the aftermath of this defeated referendum. In 2002, the proposed Twenty-fifth Amendment would have similarly excluded the risk of suicide as grounds for an abortion. On this occasion, the government proposal did have the support of the Pro Life Campaign. This too was rejected in a referendum, but by a much narrower margin.
The European Court of Human Rights found against the state in A, B and C v Ireland (2010). The government responded to this with the enactment of the Protection of Life During Pregnancy Act 2013, which provided for abortion in the cases where there was a risk to the life of the woman, including from a risk of suicide.
References
- ^ Pádraig Flynn, Minister for Justice (20 October 1992). "Twelfth Amendment of the Constitution Bill 1992: Second Stage.". Dáil Debates. Vol. 423. Ireland: Dáil Éireann. col. 1893. Archived 19 December 2020 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ "Twelfth Amendment of the Constitution Bill 1992: Committee and Final Stages". Dáil Debates. Vol. 424. Ireland: Dáil Éireann. 27 October 1992. Archived 16 July 2023 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ "Twelfth Amendment of the Constitution Bill 1992: Committee and Final Stages". Seanad Debates. Vol. 134. Ireland: Seanad Éireann. 30 October 1992. Archived 22 December 2020 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ a b "Referendum Results" (PDF). Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government. p. 46. Archived (PDF) from the original on 22 January 2023. Retrieved 27 January 2024.