It is expected that the new laws that would follow a yes vote will provide for a shorter two-year waiting period. This view was politically necessary to convince undecided voters that divorce would remain a remedy that is difficult to secure. Ireland has the lowest divorce rate in Europe, and we have certainly not created a divorce culture. Compassion and understanding demand that we trust and empower those who are dealing with the immense difficulties associated with a broken marriage and reduce the waiting period to two years. As regards the issue of the recognition of foreign divorces, this welcome development seeks to remove the existing refusal to recognise a foreign divorce where the marriage would remain lawful in Ireland.

Source: Irish Examiner May 19, 2019 23:03 UTC