The Irish people have once again shown how kind and compassionate they can be by supporting the divorce referendum by more than 82%, Minister Josepha Madigan has said.
Minister Madigan, Fine Gael Director of the Yes campaign for the Divorce Referendum said, “The overwhelming support for the divorce referendum shows that there’s a deep well of kindness in Irish people – they understand the tough situation people find themselves in when they are separating or divorcing and want to support them. The referendum to reduce the waiting time for divorce wasn’t about rocking the system, it was about humanising it.
“The reason for introducing my Private Members Bill was to reduce the emotional and financial distress experienced by couples whose marriages have sadly broken down. The Irish people have now voted by a massive majority to support this.
“I look forward to continuing to work with Minister Flanagan through the final stages of the legislative process and I welcome his commitment to bring forward legislation to reduce the living apart period to a minimum of two out of the preceding three years as soon as possible.
“I would also like to thank the civil society groups that supported a yes vote, including One Family, Separated.ie, Lawyers for Yes, the National Women’s Council of Ireland and the Irish Council for Civil Liberties and the other political parties who supported this important referendum.
“A special note of thanks is owed to those individuals who told their personal stories in an effort to secure a yes vote,” Minister Madigan said.
