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Two parties launch Yes posters ahead of Eighth Amendment referendum

Solidarity's Ruth Coppinger said the poster highlights the reality of the Eighth Amendment
Solidarity's Ruth Coppinger said the poster highlights the reality of the Eighth Amendment

Two political parties have launched Yes posters ahead of the referendum on the Eighth Amendment. 

Solidarity held their event at Busáras in Dublin, where they said many women travel from around the country en route to an airport or port to leave the country for abortions.

TD Ruth Coppinger said the poster highlights the reality of the Eighth Amendment, were more than 170,000 women have been forced to travel abroad to access services.

Her colleague Paul Murphy appealed to young people, women, trade unionists and communities to campaign for social change.

The Green Party also launched posters calling for a Yes vote in the referendum. 

Its posters feature "ordinary Irish women" who volunteered to have their faces used for the party's campaign, calling on people to trust women.

Speaking about today's Irish Times/IBSOS MRBI poll, the Green Party leader Eamon Ryan said nothing is certain and the nature of the debate over the next three or four weeks will determine the outcome.

The poll shows that 47% of respondents said they intend to vote Yes, 28% intend to vote No, while 20% are undecided.

Mr Ryan stressed the importance of political parties going to doors and listening to people who are uncertain about voting yes.

The poll findings represent a 9% drop in support for a repeal of the Eighth Amendment since the last Irish Times/IPSOS MRBI poll in January and a 1% drop in support for the retain side.

There has been an increase of 5% in the number of people undecided since last January.

Love Both, which is seeking for the Eighth Amendment to be retained in the Constitution, described "the dramatic fall" in support for repeal as a "devastating blow" to the Government's proposals showing that voters are realising the extremity of those proposals.

Together for Yes, which is calling on voters to repeal the Eighth Amendment, said it was positive to see the majority of the Irish public "believes the Eighth Amendment harms women and will vote for change".

Project Arts Centre ordered to remove mural

A spokesperson for the Charities Regulator has confirmed the regulator has ordered the Project Arts Centre in Dublin to remove a large repeal mural from its premises.

The mural painted earlier this month calls for the Repeal of the Eighth Amendment.

The spokesperson said that under the Charities Act, registered bodies must use their resources for charitable purposes only. 

He said charities can only get involved in political activity that is related to the reasons the charity exists. 

The Charities Regulator wrote to the Project Arts Centre on 12 April warning them they would lose their charitable status unless the mural is removed.