Irish prime minister concedes defeat in vote over constitutional amendments about family and women
Irish Prime Minister Leo Varadkar has conceded defeat in the vote over two constitutional amendments that would have broadened the definition of family and removed language about a woman’s role in the home
By MICHAEL KEALY and BRIAN MELLEY
Published - Mar 09, 2024, 10:50 AM ET
Last Updated - Mar 09, 2024, 10:50 AM EST
DUBLIN (AP) — Irish Prime Minister Leo Varadkar conceded defeat Saturday as two constitutional amendments he supported that would have broadened the definition of family and removed language about a woman’s role in the home were headed toward rejection in early vote tallies.
“It was our responsibility to convince the majority of people to vote ‘Yes’ and we clearly failed to do so,” Varadkar said.
Opponents argued that the wording of the changes was poorly thought out — an argument that appeared to have gained traction in the final days of the campaign. Voters said they were confused by the questions and others said they feared changes would lead to unintended consequences.
