“Government and Opposition Suffer Crushing Defeat in CARE Referendum Rewrite”
Dublin: The government suffered a significant blow as the CARE referendum concluded with a resounding rejection of the 40th amendment to the constitution. This outcome marked a major setback not only for the ruling coalition but also for the opposition parties, notably Sinn Féin, which reluctantly threw their support behind the government. The referendum witnessed the strongest ‘No’ vote in Irish history, underscoring the depth of public dissatisfaction.
The magnitude of the defeat surpassed that of the Family Referendum, with a staggering 73.9% of voters rejecting the government’s proposal, while only 26.1% stood in favour. The government faced defeat across all 39 constituencies of the country, with a significant lead of 721,567 votes (47.8%), by which the people rejected the government’s stance.
A total of 1,525,221 individuals cast their votes, representing a turnout of 44.3%, marking a notable 30% decrease compared to the 2018 abortion referendum. Returning Officer Barry Ryan announced the results at Dublin Castle, highlighting the comprehensive defeat suffered by the government.
Prominent party leaders, including Micheal Martin of Fianna Fáil (Cork South Central), Leo Varadkar of Fine Gael (Dublin West), Eamon Ryan of the Green Party (Dublin Bay South), Mary Lou McDonald of Sinn Féin (Dublin Central), Holly Keynes of the Social Democrats (Cork South-West), Ivana Bacik of the Labour Party (Dublin Bay South), and Peadar Toibin of Aontú (Meath West), all faced defeat in their respective constituencies.
The government’s failure in the Family Referendum, with 67.7% voting against and 32.3% in favour, was also emblematic of public discontent. Notably, Donegal exhibited the strongest opposition, with 84% of the county voting against the referendum.
Other regions, including Cavan-Monaghan (81%), Laois-Offaly (80%), and Dublin North-West (79%), also registered high ‘No’ votes. Prime Minister Leo Varadkar acknowledged the unequivocal message from the people, taking full responsibility for the failure to mobilise support for a ‘Yes’ vote.
The outcome of the CARE referendum stands as a remarkable chapter in Irish referendum history, surpassing previous instances of public dissent, including the 2015 presidential candidate age referendum and the referendums on abortion in 1992 and divorce in 1986, where the government’s proposals faced rejection from the majority of voters.
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