Exit Poll From Ireland's Historic Abortion Referendum Suggest Landslide For Repeal

26 May 2018, 08:33

Exit polls published after Ireland's historic referendum on abortion suggest a large majority in favour changing the law.

Polls by the Irish Times and RTE estimate about 69% voted to repeal a part of the constitution known as the Eighth Amendment, which says an unborn child has the same right to life as a pregnant woman.

Voters travelled to Ireland from across the world to take part in the historic vote, as Taoiseach Leo Varadkar said it looks like the country was about to "make history".

Richard Chambers, reporter and presenter for Newstalk FM in Dublin, told Tom Swarbrick that the exit polls show a "broadly huge amount of support" for the yes campaign for repeal.

He said: "The standout figurefrom the Irish Times polls is that 87% of 18 to 24-year-olds voted for yes, a majority in all age categories all the way up to 65.

"And then among the 65 plus, it was only a 60-40 split in favour of keeping the Eighth Amendment.

"This has been something which politicians and political parties been afraid of for so long.

"We've been hearing since the death of Savita Halappanavar back in 2012, an Indian woman who died because of the Eighth Amendment she was refused a termination and contracted sepsis.

"This has been an issue which people have been campaigning for, but nobody's wanted to give the referendum until this point."