Blasphemy poll result 'a step toward 21st century republic'
Ireland's Taoiseach says the vote to remove the blasphemy ban is the latest effort to reform the country's constitution.
Sunday 28 October 2018 11:14, UK
Ireland's vote to remove the offence of blasphemy from the constitution has been hailed as a step towards reforming the country's society.
Some 65% of those who voted backed the move during a referendum held alongside Friday's presidential election.
After the result was announced late on Saturday night, Taoiseach Leo Varadkar said: "It is very much part of an ongoing campaign in many ways to reform our constitution, to make it a 21st century constitution or a 21st century republic."
Mr Varadkar said the country's reforms began in the 1960s, when the Catholic Church lost its special place in the constitution.
More recent reforms include allowing same-sex marriage and giving women the right to choose abortion.
He said the blasphemy referendum was "the next small step in what is a very big deal, which is the reform of our constitution, so the next set of referenda are pencilled in for May".
Justice Minister Charlie Flanagan added: "It has always been my view that there is no room for a provision such as [blasphemy] in our constitution.
"Ireland is rightly proud of our reputation as a modern, liberal society.
"By taking this decision, we have again sent a message to the world, a strong message that laws against blasphemy do not reflect Irish values and that we do not believe such laws should exist."
Nobody has been prosecuted for blasphemy since a case of alleged Bible-burning in 1855 and even then the accused was acquitted.
Blasphemy has a criminal offence in the Irish constitution since 1937.
The offence was defined in the Defamation Act of 2009 as publishing or uttering something "grossly abusive or insulting in relation to matter sacred by any religion, thereby intentionally causing outrage among a substantial number of adherents of that religion".
Comedian Stephen Fry was investigated last year after a 2015 interview when he called God "mean-minded" and "stupid" for creating "a world so full of injustice and pain".
The Catholic Church had backed removing the blasphemy offence, although some Islamic leaders had opposed the move.
The announcement of the result attracted only a handful of people, unlike the abortion referendum in May, which saw thousands celebrate the outcome.
That poll had a 64% turnout but Friday's managed only 44%.
Michael Higgins, meanwhile, won a second term as Ireland's president in a result that had been largely predicted.