Labour party to focus to same-sex marriage

Extending abortion rights to include cases of rape or where women have to carry babies with no chance of survival will not be pushed by the Labour Party in Government who instead are ramping up their campaign for a referendum on same-sex marriage.

Communications Minister Pat Rabbitte became the third senior Labour minister to say he would like the issue of fatal foetal abnormalities to be addressed, but said “you can’t do that within our constitution without a referendum”.

Labour leader Eamon Gilmore, deputy leader Joan Burton, and the party’s two junior health ministers have all stated they would like the issue addressed in the future. But asked if this coalition would act on it, Mr Rabbitte said the commitment by the two parties was to legislate for the X case ruling “and no more”.