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Voters reject Government abortion proposal
By ireland.com reporters
07/03/02: Voters have rejected the Government's proposed constitutional amendment on abortion by a tiny margin. 50.42 per cent voted No, while 49.58 per cent voting Yes.
The figures represent a defeat by just approximately 10,000 votes.
Voters in the Taoiseach's constituency of Dublin Central voted against the proposals - a total of 59 per cent in that constituency rejected the amendment.
The final outcome was held up by a re-checking of votes in Galway West.
A No vote will preserve the status quo in relation to abortion in Ireland, drawing on precedent from the Supreme Court judgment in the X case. This ruling allowed a suicidal rape victim to have an abortion in Britain.
A Yes vote would have removed the threat of suicide as grounds for abortion and would have introduced tough new penalties for those performing or assisting abortions where the mother's life is not in danger.
Total turnout was 42.89 per cent - higher than the 35 per cent who turned out for the Nice Treaty vote last year but considerably less than the 66 per cent turned out for the General Election in 1997.
The turnout in the Taoiseach's constituency of Dublin Central, at 38 per cent, is lower than the national average, while the turnout in Dublin Northeast was slightly more than 50 per cent.
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