Politics

Support for retaining Republic's current abortion laws grows

Support for retaining the Eighth Amendment of the Republic's constitution has grown by ten points. Picture by Caroline Quinn/PA Wire
Support for retaining the Eighth Amendment of the Republic's constitution has grown by ten points. Picture by Caroline Quinn/PA Wire Support for retaining the Eighth Amendment of the Republic's constitution has grown by ten points. Picture by Caroline Quinn/PA Wire

There has been a ten point swing in support for retaining the Republic's current abortion laws, although the campaign in favour of change still has a commanding lead in the polls.

A referendum on whether to retain the Eighth Amendment, which recognises the equal life of the mother and the unborn child, is to be held in May or June.

According to the latest Sunday Business Post/Red C survey, 56 per cent of voters are in favour of repealing the Eighth Amendment, down from 60 per cent in late January.

Support for retaining the clause has jumped to 26 per cent, up from 20 per cent two months ago, meaning there has been a ten-point swing.

The number of voters who declare themselves as undecided has fallen by two points to 16 per cent, while two per cent of people refused to say how they would vote.

A majority of those surveyed continue to support a proposal to allow abortions up to the first 12 weeks of pregnancy, which the government has pledged to introduce if the referendum to change the constitution is passed.

However, backing for the measure has increased by just one per cent, to 52 per cent, with a third of voters now saying they are opposed to abortion at 12 weeks or earlier, up from 26 per cent in January.

The survey of 1,000 voters also shows a marked generational gap, with 70 per cent of those aged between 18 and 24 supporting abortion without restrictions up to 12 weeks.

It is a figure which drops off amongst almost every subsequent age group, with only 31 per cent of those aged 65 or older backing the same proposal.