Weather causes sluggish start to abortion poll
High winds and heavy rain in some areas ensured a sluggish start to polling today in the Republic’s latest referendum on the country’s anti-abortion laws.
Both President Mary McAleese and Taoiseach Bertie Ahern set an example to the rest of the close-on three million electorate by turning up early at their own polling stations.
Ms McAleese arrived soon after the booths opened on hospital premises near her official home in Dublin’s Phoenix Park, and Mr Ahern voted at a school in the north Dublin parliamentary division he represents.
The poor weather at the start seemed set to have an adverse effect on the final turn-out, though an improvement in conditions was forecast for later today.
At the last referendum in Ireland - on the Nice treaty for expansion of the European Union nearly a year ago - 35% of the electorate voted and the move was rejected.
The new plebiscite - Ireland’s third on the contentious abortion issue - was being staged in each of the 41 Dail constituencies, and the vote counting will begin tomorrow morning.
The first nationwide poll, in 1983, copper-fastened an existing written Irish constitutional barrier to terminations, but the situation thrown up then was left confused following a 1992 ruling by Ireland’s Supreme Court - the ultimate legal authority - that permitted a pregnant 14-year-old schoolgirl to go to Britain for an abortion.
A new referendum failed then to clarify matters, and today’s vote marked a further bid to resolve the legal position.
Today’s government-backed referendum proposal guarantees the ban on abortion, except in cases where the life of a mother is considered to be at risk, but rules out the threat of suicide as a reason for termination.
It is being backed by both parties in Mr Ahern’s coalition administration, but all of the parliamentary opposition groups are urging a negative response to the proposal on the grounds that it is unfair to women.
A number of splits on the issue have been exposed, though, particularly among anti-abortion pro-life activists, some advocating a Yes vote, but others taking the opposite view.
Opinion polls have indicated a narrowing support in favour of the government proposal, but a big don’t-know factor has indicated a very close outcome. The final figures should be confirmed late tomorrow afternoon, but indications may emerge earlier.
Last-minute campaigning today involved the youth wing of the opposition Fine Gael party, who staged roadside demonstrations on two motorway intersections.
They carried placards proclaiming: ‘‘X Case rapist gets three-and-a-half years - his victims get a referendum, For Justice vote No.’’
The placards are a reference to yesterday’s jailing by a Dublin court for a new sex offence of the man at the centre of the 1992 case that ended with the pregnancy of the schoolgirl - and eventually to today’s nationwide vote.
There have been political protests at the alleged leniency of the latest sentence imposed on the man.
:: As polling started today, it was claimed that the bulk of Ireland’s university students would be disenfranchised.
Union of Students in Ireland president Richard Hammond said: ‘‘More than half of the students here live away from home, and a poll on a Wednesday makes its exceptionally difficult for them to get to the polling booths.
‘‘And of those who are at home, many are working. So we reckon up to 75% are not going to be able to vote.’’
