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As it happened

Family and Care referendums defeated by huge margins

The Family amendment was rejected by 67.7% of voters, while the final result of the Care amendment was rejected by 73.9%.
9.01am, 9 Mar 2024
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LAST UPDATE | 9 Mar

BOTH THE FAMILY and Care referendums have been comprehensively rejected by the electorate.

The Family amendment was rejected by 67.7% of voters, while the Care amendment was rejected by 73.9%. 

Taoiseach Leo Varadkar conceded defeat earlier, saying the Government clearly “got it wrong”.

Updates from Mairead Maguire, Órla Ryan, Daragh Brophy and Rónán Duffy.

9 Mar 9:07AM

Good morning! 

Here’s how it’s likely to work today. 

The 39th Amendment on the Family will be counted first.

Once complete, the overall national result for this specific referendum will be announced by the Referendum Returning Officer, Barry Ryan, at Dublin Castle.

Once the results for the Family referendum have been announced, the counting of the ballots for the 40th Amendment on Care will begin.

The Department of Housing and Local Government did not indicate expected timings for results to be announced, stating that it really all depends on voter turnout.

However, the first referendum result is expected some time in the early afternoon and we should no the results of the two referendums later in the evening.

9 Mar 9:13AM

Our Political Reporter Jane Matthews is down in the RDS to see Dublin boxes being opened, she’ll be among the first to get a sense of how the country voted. 

9 Mar 9:19AM

Jane Matthews has got a look at the boxes being opened, specifically Dublin Central and Dublin South West. 

Obviously it’s embryonic stages of the count, but her main takeaway is that there are a lot of No votes.

Here’s a flavour from Jane in the RDS: 

I’m just keeping an eye on Dublin Central boxes at the moment. Have looked at four or five boxes and in the Care vote and it’s overwhelmingly No, I’d say like 90% No.

Family again overwhelmingly No, but a bit more mixed, it looks like that’s going to be closer. A few spoiled ballots, like an X in each box or no marks on paper at all. But yeah, they both look overwhelming No at the moment. Same for Dublin South West, exact same

9 Mar 9:23AM

9 Mar 9:27AM

For the first time, voters on Ireland’s islands voted on the same day as the rest of the country yesterday. 

RTÉ’s North West Correspondent reports however that bad weather slowed the delivery of the votes from the Áran Islands to the Galway count centre. 

9 Mar 9:33AM

Former Labour TD and junior minister Kevin Humphreys is always a good man for an accurate tally.

This tally from Ballyfermot in Dublin South Central shows an avalanche of Nos across both votes. 

9 Mar 9:36AM

In his own words, this is Kevin’s early summary of the Family referendum: 

9 Mar 9:45AM

Aontú leader Peadar Tóibín TD, who campaigned on the No side in both votes, shares this image the Kerry Count Centre. 

Not clear whether Peadar took the photo himself but the trend is clear. 

9 Mar 9:57AM

Some more observations from our reporter Jane Matthews in the RDS, she says a Sandymount box in Dublin Bay South, which had the highest Yes vote in the Marriage Equality referendum, also appears to be “swinging No” in the care referendum. 

It’s a similar story across the Liffey, where a box in Glasnevin is also a clear No on both votes. 

9 Mar 10:04AM

RTÉ’s Barry Lenihan giving a quick nationwide roundup of tallies. 

Spoiler, they’re not good news for the government. 

9 Mar 10:15AM

Virgin Media’s Political Correspondent Gavan Reilly is calling it as a No/No. So a rejection of both referendums. 

We hear that RTÉ is going to wait until much later but as it stands it appears to be only going one way.

9 Mar 10:28AM

Some pictures from the RDS count centre.

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9 Mar 10:36AM

Green Party Minister of State Joe O’Brien has arrived at the RDS.

Speaking to The Journal he said he is disappointed with what he has seen from the tallies so far but that they are just tallies.

“It’s early days, the vote isn’t completed”.

Whatever the outcome we need to respect the vote. When we have the final vote we will have to untangle it a little bit as to why people voted in different ways.

When asked if he thinks there was an element of a protest vote he said: “maybe there’s an element of that.”

9 Mar 10:43AM

The political reaction is already coming in. Some opposition parties are already looking at a rerun vote with different wording. 

9 Mar 10:55AM

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Down at the RDS Count Centre, Labour leader Ivana Bacik saying “ultimately the failure is the government’s fault”. 

Bacik, who herself campaigned for a Yes Yes vote, said the apparent result is “very disappointing”. 

“I spoke with many, many people, I don’t think anyone could fault the Labour Party for the campaign we ran, we were out canvassing, we were active and I was very actively engaged in debates on the media and off the media too.”

Whoever I spoke to about this, the reason they tended to vote No was not because they wanted to see retention of the sexist and outdated language and Article 41.2, rather, it was concerns about the replacement text. 

9 Mar 11:10AM

Senator Michael McDowell, who had campaigned for a No-No vote, says that the government is “out of touch with public opinion” as it appears that’s the way the vote is going. 

9 Mar 11:31AM

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Green Party leader Minister Eamon Ryan is speaking to reporters in the RDS.

He thinks the writing is on the wall and it “does look like a No vote in both referendums”. He adds that votes remain to be counted. 

Asked “what went wrong” for the government, he says: 

I don’t think you can respect the people’s vote by saying, oh, ‘what went wrong, the people didn’t vote the right way’. The people are sovereign in this.

Asked what went wrong for his party’s campaign, he says: “I don’t accept that our campaign did go wrong. It’s the vote of the people, they decide, to depict that as wrong isn’t respectful of the electorate.”

Why was the Green Party’s campaign defeated then? 

Both are complex issues. And there were a myriad of reasons to vote No, I think we’ll have to parse through it … It took a long time to come up with the wording because it’s not easy, it’s actually quite complicated when you’re looking to change the Constitution in any way. 

Asked if the referendums should be run again, he says:  

“I think probably the next government is going to have to come back and look at this. And I think they’ll have to consider the campaign and consider what were the arguments that merited a No vote.”

9 Mar 12:06PM
When will we know the results?

Referendum returning officer Barry Ryan spoke to RTÉ’s Miriam O’Callaghan at Dublin Castle a little while ago. 

He said that, as fewer tallies are happening around the country compared to general elections, it could be some time before a clear picture of the result emerges. (Political figures on either side, as we’ve seen so far, are being a lot more direct about the expected results). 

Ryan also gave this estimate on when we might see official results: 

“So when the ballot papers are separated, the referendum in relation to the Family will be will be counted first. 

“It’s always difficult to predict the timelines around declarations but we would hope that we would have a declaration on the first referendum sometime maybe mid- to late- afternoon, to be followed by the second one then a couple of hours later.”

He said turnout picked up later in the day yesterday after a sluggish start. 

9 Mar 12:24PM

Follow this thread from The Journal’s Sadbh Cox for some glimpses of what it’s like at the RDS this afternoon where counting for five Dublin constituencies is under way.

There were reports earlier that a bat had been found (and gently moved to safety) from the count centre in Limerick – no signs of any winged creatures so far in Dublin 4, but we’ll keep a lookout. 

9 Mar 12:49PM

bat David Raleigh David Raleigh

And now for something completely different.

A bat has been rescued from Limerick Count Centre. There is no indication as to how he voted.

He’s been named ‘Count Refula’ by staff, according to journalist David Raleigh who captured this footage.

One of the counting staff, Laurence Callaghan, had to remove the bat from the count centre this morning.

9 Mar 1:04PM

tom Tom Clonan RTÉ News RTÉ News

Senator Tom Clonan, a disability rights campaigner, has welcomed the fact the Care Referendum looks likely to be defeated.

Speaking to RTÉ News at Dublin Castle, Clonan said: “If this had passed, it would have been in contravention of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, specifically Article 19. In fact, I think it would have brought Ireland into disrepute if this wording had been supported by the Irish public.”

Prior to the vote, Clonan had raised concerns about the wording of the proposed amendment, in particular the use of the word ‘strive’.

He today said this word was “very carefully chosen to indemnify the State, to give them an opt out from providing support to families”.

Article 19 of the UN Convention says States must recognise “the equal right of all persons with disabilities to live in the community, with choices equal to others, and shall take effective and appropriate measures to facilitate full enjoyment by persons with disabilities of this right and their full inclusion and participation in the community”.

9 Mar 1:12PM

With it looking like a No vote in both the Family and Care referendums across the country, Government and opposition parties are both going to have some serious soul searching to do in the weeks ahead.

As votes continue to be counted, our political reporter Jane Matthews has rounded up the political reaction so far.

9 Mar 1:33PM

Senator Rónán Mullen, who campaigned for a No/No vote, said the rejection of both amendments is a “damning” verdict on political leadership class.

“You can’t ignore for years the importance of promoting marriage as the bedrock of a stable society and then try to get rid of the only Constitutional incentive to marriage. The Government must now, in the light of today’s result, commit to policies to promote marriage as an institution that serves our society well.

“You can’t use a promised recognition of care as the carrot to entice people to get rid of the only bit of Constitutional support that’s there for mothers and the vital work they do for us all. The Government must reflect on what it must do in future to promote recognition for fathers and carers without diluting the special Constitutional pledge to support motherhood,” Mullen said.

9 Mar 1:35PM

Independent TD for Laois Offaly Carol Nolan has also welcomed the likely No/No vote.

“While we await final confirmation that both referendum propositions have been defeated, I think it is safe to say that the people have sent a very clear message to Government; we no longer want any kind of relationship with you, durable or otherwise.

“If the No/No camp carries the day then it will effectively amount to a political earthquake; although I hold out no real hope such an outcome will be enough to generate serious reflection on how far they are out of touch with ordinary people,” Nolan said in a statement. 

9 Mar 1:38PM

One vote counter for Dublin North West today will be leaving the RDS having done two good deeds, Jane Matthews reports.

A gentleman from Dublin who wished to remain unnamed told The Journal that while he was working at a voting station in the capital yesterday he witnessed a driving licence and a Padre Pio medal accidentally make their way into ballot boxes.

The man made it his first task this morning to find the box in question and will now return the medal, which had been passed down generations, and the licence to their respective owners.

IMG_6899 Jane Matthews Jane Matthews

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9 Mar 1:44PM

Sinn Féin’s Eoin Ó Broin has said his party fully accepts the result and respects the views of the public.

Speaking on RTÉ’s Saturday with Colm Ó Mongain, he said the “primary responsibility for the failure of both referendums lies with Government”.

He said it became clear in recent days that the Care amendment was going to be defeated significantly, and agreed there was much confusion around the proposed wording of the Family amendment and ‘durable relationships’.

9 Mar 1:58PM

Sinn Féin TD Maurice Quinlivan has called for Minister Roderic O’Gorman, whose department oversaw the referendum campaign, to “resign immediately”. 

Speaking in Limerick today – as indications were that the country had rejected both referendums – Quinlivan said: “This has been a catastrophic failure by Government who, in their arrogance, listened to nobody.

“There was no prelegislative scrutiny, even though Sinn Féin and others requested this and the Children’s Committee was willing to sit for as long as it took.”

“The Government arrogantly pressed on without clarifying issues that they knew would cause problems.

“Specific interventions by An Taoiseach around Care with his Thatcherite-type comments, Micheál Martin’s arrogant mansplaining on TV isolated a load of people, the use of the word ‘strive’ sent a shudder through most carers, and many people with disabilities felt left behind.”

9 Mar 2:01PM

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Speaking to The Journal earlier, Independent Senator Gerard Craughwell said it is a fantastic day for the ordinary people of Ireland.

He said he never expected what “appears now to be a landslide” and added that a lot of organisations will have serious analysis to do with regards to their read of the public mood.

Craughwell added that he initially thought the results would be tight. He said the Government now must sit back and “learn to listen” after they “rammed” this through the Oireachtas.

9 Mar 2:06PM

An Coimisiún Toghcháin, Ireland’s Electoral Commission, has set out the final details of its information campaign which launched on 25 January for the two referendums. 

Over the six weeks of the campaign period, An Coimisiún Toghcháin: 

  • Wrote, designed and printed 2.3 million referendum booklets for delivery by An Post to homes, care settings, libraries, citizens advice offices, post offices and to Irish personnel serving overseas
  • Held dozens of in-person campaign information events in different communities across ten counties
  • Answered hundreds of questions in almost 60 local and national media interviews – TV, radio, print and online media, including Irish language media
  • Saw 770,000 page visits to the information pages of our bilingual referendum website and more than 20,000 downloads of the referendum information booklet
  • Responded to over 1,200 public queries directly to An Coimisiún by phone, by email and by post
  • Created and delivered a national public awareness advertising campaign which focused on getting people registered to vote and making them aware of the 8 March referendums
  • Created and delivered a specific social media campaign to make people aware of how they sourced their referendums information
  • On polling day observed in person voting taking place across 100 individual polling stations in every county of Ireland

This is the first electoral event since the commission was established in February 2023.

9 Mar 2:16PM

Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald has laid the blame for the failed Yes/Yes campaign firmly at the feet of the Government, denying her party is out of touch with general public for backing a Yes/Yes vote.

She said Sinn Féin has always been in favour of “removing sexist language from the Constitution” in relation to the reference to women’s place ‘in the home’ and in favour of “an inclusive definition of families”, but “knew that the Government had come up short in terms of the caring wording” and disregarded the recommendations of the Citizens’ Assembly.

McDonald was heckled while speaking to the media at Dublin Castle this afternoon, being called “a traitor to the Irish people”.

9 Mar 2:20PM

McDonald also said Sinn Fein will “return to” considerations of the “sexist language” in Ireland’s Constitution if the party is in the next Government.

“The propositions that have been put by Government have failed, so there’s no question of re-running those,” she told reporters. 

Since it was first written, republican women have railed against sexist language in respect of women in the Constitution, and it’s something that I would hope we will return to.

“The people have come out and they’ve spoken very, very definitively. Let me reiterate our commitment to vindicating the rights of people with disabilities, the rights of carers, the rights of families and of women.

“Let me just say, it is now my view that it will fall to the next Government to fully vindicate those. What does that mean? It means policy platforms, it means legislation that provides for all of those rights.

“It’s about the right decisions in terms of resources and where they’re placed and it’s my view, for what it’s worth, that caring and carers are so central to the Irish life, the rights of people with disabilities are absolutely central, and I think they are worthy of constitutional protection, but that will fall to the next Government.”

9 Mar 2:23PM

Aontú leader Peadar Tóibín, a former Sinn Féin TD, described the rejection of both referendums as “tremendous”.

He said the proposed amendments were “very clearly virtue signalling” and “provided no benefit to people at all”.

9 Mar 2:56PM

Labour leader Ivana Bacik said today’s result is “very disappointing”. Her party had campaigned for a Yes/Yes vote.

9 Mar 3:01PM

Independent TD Thomas Pringle has joined those criticising the Government’s handling of the campaign.

He accused the Government of ignoring the Attorney General’s advice and “squandering taxpayer money on poorly vetted proposals”.

9 Mar 3:07PM

Equality Minister Roderic O’Gorman, whose department oversaw the Yes/Yes campaign, said the Government is “disappointed” by the result, adding it’s “clear it’s been defeated”.

O’Gorman defended holding the vote on International Women’s Day. He acknowledged that running the referendums alongside the local and European elections in June might have resulted in a higher turnout, and more time for the Government to set out its stall, but he’s not convinced that would have meant a different outcome.

9 Mar 3:11PM

Taoiseach Leo Varadkar has also conceded defeat, telling reporters in Dublin: “Clearly we got in wrong. Enda Kenny famously said once that the electorate often gives the Government a wallop – this is two wallops.”

9 Mar 3:22PM

Varadkar said he realised the “tide was turning” in the last two weeks, particularly in relation to the Care amendment.

9 Mar 3:24PM

The Taoiseach said today’s result will not stop the Government continuing to work for carers and those with disabilities, but that it had failed to convince people about the necessity for the referendums.

9 Mar 3:45PM

One Family, the national organisation for one-parent families, has said it is beyond devastated by the No result. The group had campaigned for a Yes/Yes vote.

Karen Kiernan, One Family CEO, said: “To say that we as an organisation are devastated by this result is an understatement. It is so disappointing that this opportunity to include unmarried and single parent families in our Constitution has been rejected by the Irish people.

“Our founders have been campaigning for this for over 50 years. They started working in the 1970s to abolish illegitimacy, to get a small social welfare payment and to ensure single parents could no longer be fired or evicted.

“The fact that their heartfelt desire for their families to be included in the Constitution is no longer a reality in their lifetimes is a massive rejection to them.”

Kiernan thanked voters for their consideration of the amendments, and said the organisation will regroup “to work in solidarity towards a more equal Ireland for all people – children, parents, families, disabled people, carers and others that are often left behind”.

9 Mar 3:49PM

unnamed (13) Taoiseach Leo Varadkar pictured in Dublin today Leah Farrell / RollingNews.ie Leah Farrell / RollingNews.ie / RollingNews.ie

More reaction from Taoiseach Leo Varadkar who said the Government “accepts the results and will respect it fully”.

“As head of Government, on behalf of the Government, we accept responsibility for the results. It was our responsibility to convince a majority of people to vote yes and we clearly failed to do so.

“I think we struggled to convince people of the necessity or need for the referendum at all, let alone detail on the wording. That’s obviously something we’re going to have to reflect on into the weeks ahead.

“What I do want to say to people, though, is that when it comes to the work of Government, in relation to gender equality, in relation to improving conditions for carers, in relation to giving rights for people with disabilities, that work will continue.”

9 Mar 3:55PM

Earlier Varadkar referred to remarks by then-Taoiseach Enda Kenny when voters rejected the Seanad referendum in 2013.

Reacting to the rejection of that amendment at the time, Kenny said: “Sometimes in politics you get a wallop in an electoral process.”

Varadkar said the Government got “two wallops” today.

9 Mar 3:57PM

Tánaiste Micheál Martin has said the result of the two referendums is “clear”.

“The majority were not persuaded by the arguments for changing the Constitution in this way. It is a core strength of our Constitution that the people have the final say. We fully respect their decision.

There is no single reason why these proposals were rejected and, like all who supported them, we will reflect on this over time. After today, 13 different proposals have been rejected in referendums.

“While the constitutional change was rejected, it is clear that the need for continued action to support families and to respect principles of equality was not challenged. Action on this will remain an important part of our work as we complete our mandate.”

9 Mar 4:07PM

Today’s result is a direct consequence of a “rushed and confused campaign” by the Government, according to Social Democrats leader Holly Cairns.

Her party had campaigned for a Yes/Yes vote but been critical of the proposed wording particularly in relation to the Care amendment. 

“The Government delayed publishing the wording of both amendments; refused to accept Opposition amendments; guillotined legislation in the Oireachtas; and, patronisingly, insisted on holding the referendums on International Women’s Day,” Cairns said. 

“The low voter turnout yesterday, and the resounding No result, is due to the Government’s failure to properly engage with the public from the outset of this shambolic referendum campaign.

The electorate were confused by the wording of the family amendment – and the implications of it on things like succession rights – and unimpressed at the lack of ambition in the care referendum.

“I am disappointed that the family referendum has failed, given it is discriminatory that the Constitution recognises just one form of family – the marital family.”

In relation to the Care amendment, she said a No vote looked increasingly likely in recent days “in large part because of the Government’s appalling decision to reject wording overwhelmingly endorsed by the Citizens’ Assembly”.

“Inflammatory comments made on television by the Taoiseach – just days before polling – will have done little to convince voters about the State’s commitment to support carers and vindicate the rights of disabled people.

Many carers and disabled people are tired of receiving nothing more than lip service from successive governments. This record of failure, and absence of trust, lies at the heart of this failed referendum.

“The vote of the electorate must now be respected and there should be careful consideration and analysis of the reasons for their rejection of these amendments.”

Cairns also called on the Government to ratify the Optional Protocol on the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities “without any further excuses or delay”.

9 Mar 4:22PM

Taoiseach Leo Varadkar said he expects some international coverage of Ireland voting to reject the referendum on ‘women in the home’ on International Women’s Day.

“I’m sure it will be reported on, I’m just not sure it will be the talk of the town in Naples, New York or anywhere else for that matter.”

9 Mar 4:39PM

With nine of the 39 constituencies counted so far, it’s currently a 66.67% No vote in the Family referendum.

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9 Mar 4:56PM

Ann Marie Flanagan, one of the people who recently formed the Equality Not Care group, said the rejection of the Care referendum shows that voters listened to the views of disabled people and carers.

Equality Not Care had argued that the proposed wording of Article 42B discriminated against disabled people and their family members.

9 Mar 4:59PM

As soon as the boxes were opened and the votes were being sorted, it was clear that Ireland’s latest referendums would be comprehensively defeated.

It represents a significant bloody nose for the Government and indeed all of the major parties in the Dáil who campaigned for a Yes Yes vote.

So what happened and how did this result come about? Read Rónán Duffy’s analysis here. 

9 Mar 5:05PM

With 12 of the 39 constituencies counted, the No vote in the Family referendum stands at 64.59%

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9 Mar 5:15PM

The National Women’s Council, one of the most prominent groups to campaign for a Yes/Yes vote, is “deeply disappointed” by the No vote in both referendums.

Orla O’Connor, Director of the NWC, said the No vote in the Family referendum “means the families of over 40% of children born outside of marriage and the over one million people who are part of unmarried families are still not recognised in our Constitution”. 

She said the No vote in the Care referendum means that Article 41.2 remains in the Constitution “which continues to assign women’s primary place and indeed women’s life within the home”.

This is a reactionary message to send to young women and girls in 2024 and it fails to reflect the reality of women’s lives today and also to recognise the important role that men play in relation to care.

O’Connor continued: “There are some factors that clearly contributed to today’s outcome.

“The Government’s poor wording, combined with a lack of leadership from political parties resulted in misinformation and confusion amongst voters and a lack of mobilisation on the ground.”

She said the NWC will now continue to work with other civil society organisations to campaign for public care services, a public childcare model, better paid family leave, a universal pension, guaranteed access to homecare supports, personal assistance for disabled people, and the rights of people to live independently.

9 Mar 5:32PM

With 22 of 39 constituencies counted, the No vote in the Family referendum stands at 67.2%

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9 Mar 5:46PM

Referendum campaign-1_90700670 Orla O'Connor on the campaign trail earlier this week Leah Farrell / RollingNews.ie Leah Farrell / RollingNews.ie / RollingNews.ie

Expanding on her earlier statement, Orla O’Connor, Director of the National Women’s Council, said today’s result is a “wake up call” for equality and women’s rights.

Speaking to The Journal at Dublin Castle, O’Connor said although we don’t know the scale, there was “ultimately” a proportion of people who voted No in the Care referendum because they felt the wording did not go far enough.

O’Connor said she was “deeply disappointed” and admitted that she was surprised by the scale of the No votes.

“Ultimately, the people have spoken, and we need to think about why people have voted No. And I think there’s many reasons for it, we don’t know them all yet.

“We certainly know there’s a proportion of No voters who wanted wording to go further and felt that this referendum wasn’t delivering enough,” she said.

9 Mar 5:55PM

tom 2 Senator Tom Clonan (file photo) Norma Burke / PA Images Norma Burke / PA Images / PA Images

Independent Senator Tom Clonan, who had advocated for a No vote in the Care referendum, told our reporter Jane Matthews he was relieved by today’s results. 

Clonan said the proposed wording would have brought Ireland into international disrepute because it was “completely contrary” to the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.

“Specifically Article 19, which guarantees the rights of disabled adults to live independent, autonomous lives in the community,” he said.

“Not living at home with the parents, which is what that wording would have… given constitutional expression to the idea that family has exclusive responsibility for the care of disabled citizens.

“That’s like something from the 19th century, and they were going to put that in. So I’m just really relieved that it was rejected by the Irish people.”

9 Mar 6:12PM

Speaking to RTÉ News, Independent TD Catherine Connolly accused the Government of using “propaganda” to “push through” the proposed amendments.

Connolly, who has long advocated on behalf of women’s rights, criticised the Government’s “patronising” and “patriarchal” campaign.

Earlier this year she labelled the wording of the proposed Care amendment as “wishy washy“.

9 Mar 6:22PM

Opposition TDs have today hit out at the Government’s handling of the campaign, saying that lone parents, carers and disabled people were pitted against each other.

9 Mar 6:26PM

The leaking of the Attorney General’s advice the day before polling is “really frustrating”, Equality Minister Roderic O’Gorman said.

Speaking to reporters in Dublin Castle today, the minister said it was a “a partial” leak of the AG’s advice and was just one part “of a set of advices provided across the entire campaign”.

Questioned by The Journal as to whether the Government should consider publishing AG advice in the run up to future referendums, in a bid to avoid circumstances where it is leaked, Taoiseach Leo Varadkar said it was “difficult” question to answer. 

The Ditch published an article containing the leaked advice from Rossa Fanning on the proposed Family and Care amendments on Thursday afternoon.

Senator Michael McDowell told RTÉ he believes the leak came from someone within the Government with a view to bolster the care referendum.

However, he said that it “backfired spectacularly”.

Meanwhile, Fine Gael Senator Regina Doherty said there are “real questions behind why the AG advice was leaked in the first place and we will have to get to the bottom of that”.

9 Mar 6:29PM

With 34 of the 39 constituencies counted, the No vote in the Family referendum is now 67.28%

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9 Mar 6:45PM
Varadkar on Six One

Leo Varadkar is speaking to RTÉ’s Six One News now.

He’s again conceded the Government’s approach was wrong and said they would now reflect on what happened.

Asked by host Ray Kennedy why the Government opted to make the Care referendum in particular so complicated, he said it was decided not to go ahead with a simple deletion of the ‘women in the home’ wording on the basis of recommendations to take the opportunity to recognise the roles of other carers.

He was also asked again about his comments about care on Virgin Media’s Six O’Clock Show, when he spoke about his own experience of being raised by his parents and his view on the State’s responsibilities in relation to care.

A clip of his comments was widely shared on social media in the final week of campaigning.

Repeating a defence of the comments issued in recent days, he said the edited clip misrepresented his fuller remarks on the issue.

Asked whether Equality Minister Roderic O’Gorman should resign, Varadkar said he continued to have full confidence in the Green Party minister.

A number of politicians – including Aontú’s Peadar Toibín – earlier called for O’Gorman to resign.

9 Mar 7:03PM
It's a No in the Family Referendum

It’s official: The Family Referendum has been rejected.

  • Total poll: 1,525,215 votes cast
  • Spoiled votes: 16,105
  • Total valid votes: 1,509,110
  • No votes: 1,021,546 (67.69%)
  • Yes votes: 487,564 (32.31%)

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9 Mar 7:12PM

Some 1,525,215 valid votes were cast yesterday (16,105 were deemed invalid). 

More than 1.2 million people rejected the Family amendment, the 39th amendment to the Constitution.

9 Mar 7:38PM

unnamed (14) Prominent No campaigners including Senator Michael McDowell (fourth from right) celebrate at Dublin Castle this evening Senator Sasko Lazarov / RollingNews.ie Senator Sasko Lazarov / RollingNews.ie / RollingNews.ie

9 Mar 7:57PM

International media outlets have been covering the referendum results.

As expected, much of the coverage has focused on the anticipated Care amendment result and in particular the retention of the ‘women in the home’ wording, Mairead Maguire reports.

9 Mar 9:21PM

The result of the Care referendum has just been announced.

Some 393,053 voted in favour of the amendment, while 1,114,620 voted against.

Therefore the referendum has been defeated.

Here’s the breakdown:

Capture Referendum Ireland Referendum Ireland

9 Mar 9:35PM

We are wrapping up the liveblog now, thanks for staying with us today.

Both referendums have been defeated by landslide No votes.

In fact, the Care Amendment has garnered the highest percentage of No votes of any referendum in the history of the state.

No doubt there will be more political reaction tomorrow in the fallout.

The Journal will keep you up to date on all the latest developments.

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