The Fianna Fáil Ard Fheis has voted against a motion to support repealing Ireland's Eighth Amendment.
The country is scheduled to have a referendum on repealing the amendment, which effectively renders the government incapable of passing legislation that would allow Irish women access to abortion, some time in 2018.
Two motions on the Eighth Amendment were put before the Ard Fheis today, one in favour of supporting the repeal movement, and one in favour of supporting the movement to maintain the eighth.
Gavan Reilly reported on Twitter that the motion to support repealing the eighth failed, and that the motion to support maintaining the amendment passed — and that both verdicts were met with applause.
https://twitter.com/gavreilly/status/919205821485076481
https://twitter.com/gavreilly/status/919206023767953408
It has been pointed out that Fianna Fáil's representatives in Dáil Éireann and the Seanad will have a free vote regardless of how the Ard Fheis has voted — nevertheless, it is a major statement from Ireland's second largest party to come out against the referendum.
