Women who decide to end the life of their babies in the womb are not “murderers or sociopaths”, Sunday Independent journalist Niamh Horan has said.

Ms Horan also said women who terminate pregnancies do not do it “on a whim” or for the “hell of it”.

Speaking on Independent.ie’s Floating Voter podcast, the journalist also criticised the arguments being put forward by prominent No campaigner Maria Steen.

Ms Steen is campaigning to retain the Eighth Amendment of the Constitution because she believes it is the only State protection afforded to unborn children.

“There are 200,000 women out there since 1983 who decided to take the life of the baby they are carrying. Do you think we are all surrounded by sociopaths or do you think those women were terrified or traumatised or were suicidal,” Ms Horan said.

“They are all facing personal situations where they feel like there is nothing else they can do

You wouldn’t go through something so traumatic that would take years to get over if you didn’t feel there was no other way out,” she added.

The podcast hosted by Independent Newspapers Group Political Editor Kevin Doyle also discussed the Sunday Independent’s Political Rich List.