The second day of the Fianna Fáil Ard Fheis took place today and the assembled members of the party voted on policy changes on various key issues.
With a referendum on the 8th amendment having been announced by the Citizen's Assembly last month, to take place at some point in May/ June 2018, the party were set to vote on what their official stance would be on the issue in the lead up to the referendum.
Two motions were put to the Ard Fheis today. The first on whether they would support the Repeal movement, for liberalising abortion laws in Ireland and decriminalising access to abortion. The second was on whether to support maintaining the 8th amendment as it is.
The first, as reported by Gavan Reilly on Twitter, was defeated, which was apparently met with applause.
Whereas the motion to support maintaining the 8th amendment was passed.
Motion 11 (in favour of maintaining 8th Amendment) is carried by a similar margin of about 5 or 6 to 1. Again applauded #ffardfheis17 pic.twitter.com/540AR9ZrgK
— Gavan Reilly (@gavreilly) October 14, 2017
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It is a fairly surprising result for Fianna Fáil to have voted in favour of maintaining the 8th amendment, when it is clear that there is such desire nationally to reform it to at least some extent. It is also important to note that Fianna Fáil members in the Dáil and Seanad will not be held by a party whip in any votes surrounding the issue, thus this is just the official party position, as opposed to necessarily the stance of each TD and Senator. That's small comfort though for this surprising result though.
H/T: Joe.ie
