Half of FF TDs vote against Eighth referendum

Fianna Fáil leader Micheál Martin is facing a widescale backbench revolt over his pro-choice abortion views, after half of his party’s TDs voted against allowing any referendum on the Eighth Amendment.

The major push-back took place as a Government minister lashed out at the attempt to gag the public last night, claiming any strategy to prevent a national abortion vote is “an affront to democracy”.

In a key second stage vote yesterday, the Dáil voted by 110 TDs to 32 to support the referendum bill formally allowing an Eighth Amendment referendum.