The Government has offered its support for a referendum to reduce from four years to two the period a couple must be living apart before they may apply for divorce.

The referendum has been proposed by FG TD, Josepha Madigan, in a bill she brought before the Dáil yesterday. It also received support from Fianna Fáil, Sinn Féin, and others.

Minister of State, David Stanton, said the Government would be supporting the bill and would also like to see restrictions on divorce taken out of the constitution completely so that the regulation of divorce might be entirely a matter for legislation.