Updated 06:45
The Taoiseach has said it is “looking like we will make history” as exit polls predict a clear majority of the Irish people have voted to repeal the Eighth Amendment.
Polls undertaken by the Irish Times and RTÉ have predicted a 68% and 69.4% ‘Yes’ vote respectively.
According to the polls, the only demographic to vote ‘No’ seems to have been the over 65s with all other age groups emphatically voting yes.
Young people aged 18 to 24-years-old voted 87% in favour of repeal.
EXIT POLL for @IrishTimes projects 68% of voters have voted to repeal the Eighth Amendment pic.twitter.com/cdkKW0oLhF
— Ipsos MRBI (@IpsosMRBI) May 25, 2018
The Yes vote was strongest in Dublin where at least three in four people supported it.
However the urban / rural divide was not as clear as expected with the RTÉ poll suggesting a 72.3% ‘Yes’ in urban areas versus a 63.3% ‘Yes’ in rural areas.
Munster and the rest of Leinster seems to have voted 2 to 1 in favour of repeal with around 60% opting for ‘Yes’ in Connacht and Ulster.
An Taoiseach Leo Varadkar voting in Scoil Thomas Lauriel Lodge Castleknock, 25-05-2018. Image: Sam Boal/RollingNews
The Irish Times poll surveyed 4,000 voters at 160 polling stations across the country, while RTÉ surveyed 3,800 people at 175 stations across the country.
Following the release of the polls last night the Taoiseach Leo Varadkar tweeted that it was “looking like we will make history tomorrow.”
EXIT POLL: Majority vote in favour of repeal in all regions. pic.twitter.com/MVi3l9fmI0
— Ipsos MRBI (@IpsosMRBI) May 25, 2018
The Irish Times poll also found that women voted in favour of the proposal by 70% voting in favour and 30% against.
Support from men was weaker, but still high - at 65% to 35%.
While younger voters were also in favour of the change, with majorities in all age groups under-65.
The Irish Times poll is estimated to have a margin of error of +/- 1.5%, while the RTÉ poll has a margin of +/- 1.6%.
Following the release of the polls last night the Taoiseach Leo Varadkar tweeted that it was “looking like we will make history tomorrow.”
Thank you to everyone who voted today. Democracy in action. It’s looking like we will make history tomorrow.... #Together4Yes
— Leo Varadkar (@campaignforleo) May 25, 2018
The Tánaiste Simon Coveney said the polls suggest a “stunning result that will bring about a fundamental change for the better.”
Thank you to everybody who voted today - democracy can be so powerful on days like today - looks like a stunning result that will bring about a fundamental change for the better. Proud to be Irish tonight. Thank u to all at @Together4yes
— Simon Coveney (@simoncoveney) May 25, 2018
Fianna Fáil leader Micheál Martin said the “view of our Republic is clear and we as an Oireachtas should move efficiently to enact the will of our people.”
With exit polls published, it looks like #8thRef has been emphatically passed. Important though that we respect and count every vote. If the exit polls are accurate, the view of our Republic is clear and we as an Oireachtas should move efficiently to enact the will of our people.
— Micheál Martin (@MichealMartinTD) May 25, 2018
If the result is confirmed as expected the Government has said it is committed to introducing unrestricted access to abortion for women up to the 12th week of pregnancy.
Abortions will be permitted later in terms where there is a risk to a woman's life, or a risk of serious harm to the physical or mental health of a woman.
The Minister for Health Simon Harris is aiming to enact the legislation by the end of the year.
Reporting from Michael Staines and Jack Quann
