Previous referendums
You can read about the previous referendums that have taken place in Ireland to date. Please note, the dates below refer to the date the referendum took place.
38th Amendment
Divorce
Provided for changes to provisions regulating divorce by removing the constitutional requirement for a defined period of separation, and by substituting a provision on the recognition of foreign divorces
Year: 2019
Passed
37th Amendment
Blasphemy
Provided for the removal of the word blasphemous from the Constitution
Year: 2018
Passed
36th Amendment
Repeal of the 8th Amendment
Provided for the regulation of termination of pregnancy
Year: 2018
Passed
35th Amendment
Presidency: Reduce age of candidacy to 21
Year: 2015
Rejected
There is no Thirty-fifth Amendment. On 22 May 2015 a proposal for the Thirty-fifth Amendment to the constitution was put to the people and rejected [Age of Eligibility for Election to the Office of President].
34th Amendment
Provided that marriage may be contracted in accordance with law by two persons without distinction as to their sex.
Year: 2015
Passed
33rd Amendment
Provided for the establishment of a Court of Appeal
Year: 2013
Passed
32nd Amendment
Seanad Abolition
Year: 2013
Rejected
There is no Thirty-second Amendment. On 4 October 2013, a proposal for the Thirty-second Amendment to the Constitution was put to the people and was rejected [Abolition of Seanad Éireann].
31st Amendment
Provided for an Article expressly relating to children
Year: 2012
Passed
30th Amendment
Allowed the State to ratify the Treaty on Stability, Co-ordination and Governance in the Economic and Monetary Union
Year: 2012
Passed
30th Amendment
Year: 2011
Rejected
Proposed to reverse a 2002 Supreme Court ruling which prevented Oireachtas inquiries from making findings critical of individuals.
29th Amendment
Judges Remuneration
Year: 2011
Passed
28th Amendment
Allowed the State to ratify the Treaty of Lisbon
Year: 2009
Accepted
28th Amendment
To allow the State to ratify the Treaty of Lisbon
Year: 2008
Rejected
27th Amendment
Irish citizenship of children of non-national parents
Year: 2004
Passed
26th Amendment
Allowed the State to ratify the Treaty of Nice.
Year: 2002
Passed
25th Amendment
Abortion: Exclusion of suicide
Year: 2002
Rejected
There is no Twenty-fifth Amendment. On 6 March, 2002, a proposal for the Twenty-fifth Amendment to the Constitution was put to the people and was rejected [Protection of Human Life in Pregnancy.]
24th Amendment
Treaty of Nice
Year 2001
Rejected
There is no Twenty-fourth Amendment. On 7 June, 2001, three proposals were put to the people, the Twentyfirst, Twenty-third and Twenty-fourth Amendments. The people rejected the Twenty-fourth [which dealt with the Treaty of Nice] and approved the Twenty-first and Twenty-third.
23rd Amendment
Allowed the State to ratify the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court.
Year: 2001
Passed
There is no 22nd Amendment.
The Twenty-second Amendment of the Constitution Bill, 2001 [relating to the removal of a judge from office and providing for a body to be established by law to investigate or cause to be investigated conduct constituting misbehaviour by a judge or affected by incapacity of a judge] was not passed by the Houses of the Oireachtas.
21st Amendment
Prohibited the death penalty and provided for the removal of references to the death penalty.
Year: 2001
Passed
20th Amendment
Provided constitutional recognition of the role of local government and that local elections are held at least every five years.
Year: 1999
Passed
19th Amendment
Allowed the State to consent to be bound by the Britishirish Agreement done at Belfast on 10 April 1998 and provided that certain further amendments to the Constitution, notably to Articles 2 and 3, would come into effect when that agreement entered into force.
Year: 1998
Passed
18th Amendment
Allowed the State to ratify the Treaty of Amsterdam.
Year:1998
Passed
17th Amendment
Provided that the confidentiality of discussions at meetings of the Government would be respected save only where the High Court, in certain specified circumstances, determined that disclosure should be made.
Year: 1997
Passed
16th Amendment
Provided for the refusal of bail by a court to a person charged with a serious offence where it is reasonably considered necessary to prevent the commission of a serious offence by that person.
Year: 1995
Passed
15th Amendment
Provided for the dissolution of marriage in certain pecified circumstances.
Year: 1995
Passed
14th Amendment
Provided that Article 40.3.3° (the right to life of the unborn) would not limit freedom to obtain or make available information relating to services lawfully available in another state.
Year: 1992
Passed
13th Amendment
Provided that Article 40.3.3° (the right to life of the unborn) would not limit freedom to travel between Ireland and another state.
Year: 1992:
Passed
12th Amendment
Abortion: exclusion of suicide
Year: 1992
Rejected
There is no Twelfth Amendment. On 25 November 1992, three proposals were put to the people, the Twelfth, Thirteenth and Fourteenth Amendments. The people rejected the Twelfth (which dealt with the right to life of the unborn) and approved the Thirteenth and Fourteenth.
11th Amendment
Allowed the State to ratify the Treaty on European Union (Maastricht) and to become a member of that union.
Year:1992
Passed
10th Amendment
Allowed the State to ratify the Single European Act.
Year: 1987
Passed
10th Amendment
Divorce
Year: 1986
Rejected
Proposed to remove the constitutional ban on divorce. The ban was eventually lifted by the Fifteenth Amendment in 1996.
9th Amendment
Extended the right to vote at Dáil elections to certain non-Irish nationals.
Year: 1984
Passed
8th Amendment
Acknowledged the right to life of the unborn, with due regard to the equal right to life of the mother.
Year: 1983
Passed
7th Amendment
Allowed the State to extend the provisions for the election of members of Seanad Éireann by certain universities to other institutions of higher education in the State.
Year: 1979
Passed
6th Amendment
Ensured that adoption orders made by the Adoption Board could not be declared invalid because they were not made by a court.
Year: 1979
Passed
5th Amendment
Removed from the Constitution the special position of the Catholic Church and the recognition of other named religious denominations.
Year: 1972
Passed
4th Amendment
Reduced the minimum voting age at Dáil and Presidential elections and referendums from 21 years to 18 years.
Year: 1972
Passed
4th Amendment
Elections: Dáil: electoral system
Year: 1968
Rejected
A second proposal to alter the Dáil electoral system from Single Transferable Vote to First Past The Post.
3rd Amendment
Dáil electoral systems
Year: 1959
Rejected
Proposal to alter the electoral system for elections to Dáil Éireann from the multi-member Single Transferable Vote (STV) to the single-member First Past the Post (FPTP) system.
Draft Constitution – Adoption of the Constitution
Year: 1937
Passed
