Coveney: Ireland frozen in time without yes vote

Ireland will remain “frozen in time” if people do not vote to repeal the Eighth Amendment, Tánaiste Simon Coveney has said.

With more than 3m people eligible to go to the ballot box today, Taoiseach Leo Varadkar has also appealed to citizens to move away from a “legacy of shame that exists in our society” where women are forced to travel abroad for an abortion or take pills bought online without medical supervision.

In a significant concession, a number of Fianna Fáil politicians who previously came out strongly in favour of retaining the Eighth Amendment yesterday softened their stance, saying they would back legislation to allow for abortions in so-called hard cases.