The Irish government last week announced that it will hold a referendum at some point next year on whether to alter the country’s stringent law on abortion.
Voters are expected to go to the ballot in around May or June to vote on whether Ireland should retain The Eighth Amendment of the Irish constitution, which gives both a pregnant women and an unborn baby equal right to life.
Irish women could currently face 14 years jail time if they are found guilty of having an illegal abortion, but they’re legally allowed to go abroad for the procedure.
The already highly charged campaign will only be intensified as the precedes the Pope’s visit to Ireland, however this hasn’t stopped Irish bookmaker Paddy Power pricing up how Ireland will vote.
Head of PR at Paddy Power, Feilim Mac An Iomaire told SBC: “We certainly don’t expect any backlash in relation to this market, Paddy Power have a long history in political betting and have offered odds on every Irish referendum since the company’s foundation back in 1988.
“Currently our odds suggest that a repeal of the amendment is likely as the vast majority of polls have showed that the public favour such a change.
“Also, the Irish electorate voted overwhelmingly in favour of allowing same sex marriage in 2015 which suggests that the Irish electorate if far more liberal than it was in 2002 when the last referendum in relation to abortion was narrowly defeated.”
