A constitutional referendum on Care, which would have deleted a reference to a woman's "life within the home" has been defeated by 74%.
It is the second blow for the Government after an earlier referendum on expanding the definition of family also didn't pass by a landslide 67%.
Only one constituency in the country, Dún Laoghaire, passed the Family amendment.
Early indications suggested a loss for the Government on both questions.
Taoiseach Leo Varadkar speaking to the media at Dublin Castle for the referendum on Family and Care. 9-3-24. Image: Sasko Lazarov/© RollingNews.ieAhead of the full results being announced, Taoiseach Leo Varadkar said the Government “clearly got it wrong” in their campaign.
"I’m not going to tell the people they are wrong, they are not,” he told reporters.
"As head of Government, on behalf of the Government, we accept responsibility for the result.
"It was our responsibility to convince the majority of people and we failed to do so.
"We struggled to convince of the necessity or need of the referendum at all, let alone the details and the wording.
"That is something we’re obviously going to have to reflect on in the week and months ahead."
Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald speaking to the media during the count of the Family and Care Referendums at Dublin's RDS, 9-3-24. Image: Newstalk/Andrew LowthSinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald, who supported a 'Yes/Yes' vote, accused the Government of going "on a solo run".
"Republican women have railed against sexist language in respect of women in the Constitution and it's something that I hope we will return to," she said.
"But let me state again: the referendums as put have failed, so I just want to reassure people that there will be no attempt on our part to re-run the same questions.
"I think it's a moment of reflection for the Government who went on a solo run on these matters; they failed to collaborate in any way and they also failed to convince the electorate," she added.
Earlier former Justice Minister Michael McDowell, who had called for No votes, said the referendums were an "unthought-out social experimentation with the Constitution".
"The Government failed completely to convince the electorate that these changes to the Constitution were worthwhile," he said.
"In every argument that was televised the Yes side came off far worse."
Michael McDowell speaking to the media in the RDS for the referendum on Family and Care, 9-3-24. Image: Leah Farrell/© RollingNews.ieSenator McDowell said the Government rushed the legislation through without proper scrutiny.
"They used the guillotine to shove this through both Houses of the Oireachtas without proper debate," he said.
"They cast aside all the amendments even from people who eventually ended up on their own side.
"They didn't have an pre-legislative scrutiny where we could have had officials in to discuss the implications for immigration law, succession law, taxation law - they just made all of that impossible.
"They just assumed that they would just run it past the people of the country with vacuous posters saying, 'Family/Care: Yes'.
"For heaven's sake, that's not the way to amend the fundamental law of our country," he added.
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