The Government will hold a referendum in May to remove restrictions on divorce entirely from the Constitution. Currently, the Constitution allows divorce only after a couple have been separated for four years. The Government had considered amending this article to two years, but the Cabinet yesterday chose to remove the restriction entirely.
If passed, the referendum would empower the Dail and Seanad to set the waiting period for divorce. The Government has said it would like it set at two years, but the Oireachtas would be free to make it even shorter if it so wished.
