Leading Irish figures are calling for abortion reform after the next general election.

Famous names from the fields of literature, arts and music have launched a campaign to repeal the 8th amendment.

Authors including Anne Enright, Edna O'Brien and John Banville are protesting alongside filmmakers such as Jim Sheridan and John Boorman against our strict abortion laws.

Irish actors including Cillian Murphy and Fionnula Flanagan have also joined the campaign - to make abolishing the eighth amendment a central issue in the general election.

In their statement, the artists say: "The Eighth Amendment of the Constitution of Ireland, Article 40.3.3 inserted in 1983, has prevented our doctors and our legislators from providing proper care to women in Ireland".

"The resulting physical and emotional trauma inflicted on women is inexcusable and an ongoing cause of shame for Irish citizens".

"The Eighth Amendment undermines the status of the Irish Constitution. It is a key source of Ireland’s failure to reach international human rights standards and of the state’s failure to meet its obligations to vindicate women’s human rights".

"We, the undersigned artists, call for the repeal of the Eighth Amendment of the Irish Constitution and for action by our elected legislators to provide women in Ireland with modern reproductive health services in line with best medical practice and international human rights norms".

The Labour leader Joan Burton has said that a referendum on repealing the 8th constitutional amendment will be in the Labour Party manifesto going into the next general election.