The country's two biggest political parties have been accused of shirking responsibility on the issue of abortion by refusing to support a referendum on the 8th Amendment.

Green Party leader Eamon Ryan said Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael can no longer bury their heads in the sand - and that the current system "clearly isn't working".

Mr Ryan told the Young Greens Annual Convention in Cork that it's time for the people to have their say - and that his party will campaign for repeal.

Lorna Bogue is Leader of the Young Greens and will run for election in Mícheál Martin's constituency - she says he's completely out of touch with Irish women: