Prominent Irish pro-life group, the Life Institute, have ramped up their preparation for a likely abortion referendum by registering as a third party with the Standards in Public Office (SIPO) Commission. The move will allow them to raise funds for political purposes within the legal framework established by the Government in 1997 that requires donations to occur only within strict limits. A spokeswoman for the institute said they had not been registered previously as they have been “an education-and-awareness organisation who work to ensure the human rights of both mother and child are upheld.” However, now they will be able to fundraise specifically for the political work of winning any future abortion referendum: “For the upcoming referendum, the campaign to retain the Eighth will be registered with Sipo, and any political donations received will be included in the accounting,” she said.