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People were polled with the same questions as the Citizens' Assembly. Here's what they said

The Citizens’ Assembly had an almost two-thirds majority vote (64%) for access to abortion on request at least in early pregnancy.

PEOPLE IN IRELAND share the Citizens’ Assembly’s support for access to abortion on request and in other circumstances according to a new opinion poll published by Amnesty International.

The poll was carried out by Red C Research from 16-19 October and is based on the ballot wording put to the Citizens’ Assembly in April 2017.

It shows that the majority of people in Ireland (60%) believe that women should have access to abortion on request, either outright or within specific gestational limits.

The Citizens’ Assembly had an almost two-thirds majority vote (64%) for access to abortion on request at least in early pregnancy, with higher majority votes for later gestational limits in specific circumstances.

There was also comparable opposition to women having access to abortion on request in both this poll and in the Citizens’ Assembly vote.

Some 40% of respondents in this poll and 36% of the Citizens’ Assembly said abortion should never be available on request.

Just 4% of people polled chose to abstain from giving an opinion.

Results 

The overwhelming majority of people polled want women to have access to abortion when their health is at risk (89%), when they are pregnant as a result of rape (85%) or where there is a diagnosis of a fatal foetal abnormality (81%).

The poll also found that a significant majority of people want women to have access to abortion where there is a significant foetal abnormality that is not likely to be fatal (64%), and based on the woman’s socio-economic circumstances (57%).

One of the biggest differences in the results of the Citizens’ Assembly vote and the poll was in the circumstances where an unborn child has a significant foetal abnormality that is not likely to result in death before or shortly after birth.

Some 64% of those polled supported abortion in these circumstances, while 80% of the Citizens’ Assembly wanted women to have access to abortion in these circumstances.

On the other hand, only 5% of the Citizens’ Assembly voted for access on request without any gestational limits, though 21% of respondents to this poll supported access on request without limits.

The poll results are broken down into gestational limits in the following table – the corresponding percentage of Citizens’ Assembly votes are marked in red (both exclude those who preferred not to state an opinion).

Citizen Assembly Poll Amnesty International Amnesty International

(For a larger image of the above table, click here)

Executive director of Amnesty International Ireland Colm O’Gorman said:

“A substantial majority (60%) want women to have access to abortion on request which gives a clearer picture of the kind of legal and medical abortion framework the Irish public want.

The poll also shows just how strongly the public support access to abortion in other circumstances, such as when the woman’s physical or mental health is at risk. Again, this echoes the Citizens’ Assembly’s vote on the issue.

“In light of this poll, public representatives must seriously question the assumptions and prevailing narratives which lead them to think people in Ireland do not support wide-ranging reform.”

Some 1,000 adults aged 18+ were interviewed over the telephone for the Red C poll. The sample size was quota controlled by age, gender, socio-economic status and region in order to ensure a fully representative sample. The margin of error on a sample size of 1,000 is +/- 3.2%.

Read: Ronan Mullen said his comment about Savita Halappanavar ‘could be reworded’. Here’s what he said>

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    Mute Eamonn O'Hanrahan
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    Jun 4th 2024, 7:24 AM

    They describe a typical Dublin suburb, exciting stuff, surprised they allow comments on such an interesting story.

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    Mute Ciaran O'Mara
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    Jun 4th 2024, 2:06 PM

    @Eamonn O’Hanrahan: never look back in Ongar, I heard them say.

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    Mute Ajax Penumbra
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    Jun 4th 2024, 10:31 AM

    “Approximately six new homes” — only an approximation? You couldn’t go count them or anything?

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    Mute Rose Sheridan
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    Jun 4th 2024, 7:20 AM

    “WWE superstar Sheamus” crucial to what? Who or what is he? WWE stands for?

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    Mute Jason Memail
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    Jun 4th 2024, 9:23 AM

    @Rose Sheridan: Asking those questions in the comments section is the fastest way to an answer I’d say. Much better than, oh I don’t know, typing “WWE Sheamus” into Google?

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    Mute Lady Ruth Fitzmaurice
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    Jun 4th 2024, 7:34 AM

    Sloppy, lazy journalism. Sheamus is from Cabra. A Google search could have told you that.

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    Mute honey badger
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    Jun 4th 2024, 7:55 AM

    @Lady Ruth Fitzmaurice: That explains why there used to be a big poster of him on an esb box on the Old Navan Road! Thank you. Case closed.

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    Mute Alex
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    Jun 4th 2024, 9:29 AM

    @Lady Ruth Fitzmaurice: He is from Clonsilla, it’s literally written on the WWE website, confirmed by him and on all wrestling bio websites.
    Your searches aren’t good.

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    Mute ben wu
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    Jun 4th 2024, 12:46 PM

    @Alex: On the WWE website it just says that he is from Dublin, the same goes for FoxSports.
    Never heard of him before and don’t know other sites to check beyond Wiki saying Cabra.

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    Mute Lady Ruth Fitzmaurice
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    Jun 4th 2024, 1:32 PM

    @Alex: really. When I worked with him he was from Cabra. Even Google knows that. My searches aren’t necessary aa I got it from the man himself

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    Mute Lady Ruth Fitzmaurice
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    Jun 4th 2024, 1:32 PM

    @honey badger: exactly

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    Mute Ollie Fitzpatrick
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    Jun 4th 2024, 10:52 AM

    Between an Bord Pleanála and County Councils and greedy developers, they have created monsters out of our towns and villages. Time to take a more sensible and sympathetic approach to planning permission and development!!

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    Mute Reg McCabe
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    Jun 4th 2024, 4:53 PM

    What’s unique about Clonsilla and distinguishes it from other communities mentionef is the presence of the Royal canal. Access from the village to the canal as amenity needs to be improved. Also bordering the village is the iconic Deep Sinking gorge. Unbelievable the article contains no reference whatsoever to the canal and its potential. Lost in plain sight?

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    Mute Sean Money
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    Jun 4th 2024, 9:58 AM

    They should be grateful to have feckin houses.

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    Mute Fran Mooney
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    Jun 4th 2024, 11:23 AM

    Great streetscape like swords, where did you get that from

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    Mute Mary.E.
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    Jun 4th 2024, 12:25 PM

    It may be an old building ,but the asking price certainly is not.

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    Mute Sean Money
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    Jun 4th 2024, 9:59 AM

    Shamus is a rough man and would put manners on you

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