Government cautious on holding further referendums

The Government is to adopt a cautious approach to holding further referendums in the aftermath of the Seanad poll.

Taoiseach Enda Kenny and Tánaiste Eamon Gilmore agreed yesterday the Government would have to review its holding of referendums.

'Weariness'
Mr Kenny conceded that there was "a certain weariness'' on the part of the public with referendums. He said the Government had made no response yet to the issues discussed by the constitutional convention.

“We need to discuss how best to do this?,’’ Mr Kenny added. “Do you have a Constitution day?’’.

Mr Kenny was asked on RTÉ's The Week in Politics if the Government would proceed with referendums on issues such as lowering the voting age, extending voting to the diaspora for presidential elections and same sex marriage.

He replied that unless people were really exercised about the issue they did not find referendums attractive. He added that having spoken to delegates at the weekend Fine Gael conference there was no appetite right now for another referendum.

“I think our focus now is on the budget as a stepping stone for the bailout,’’ said Mr Kenny. “I think we should have a relentless pursuit next year on the provision of jobs and growing our economy.’’

Mr Gilmore, who was speaking at Government Buildings yesterday, said the Government would have to look at how it managed referendums proposed in the reports from the constitutional convention.

“We have had a lot of referendums over the past couple of years,’’ he added. “I do not think we can have a referendum every six months.’’

Mr Gilmore has been a particularly strong advocate in the past for having a referendum on same sex marriage.

Widespread apathy
All political parties and Independent TDs agree that there was widespread apathy during the Seanad referendum campaign.

“The scale of it surprised most of us,’’ said a TD who campaigned for abolition. “People were not remotely interested, excepted perhaps in the final days.’’

A TD who advocated a No vote said he was not surprised by the narrow result in favour of retaining the Seanad.

“However, I would have to say it was not all about holding on to the Upper House,’’ he added.

“I think there was an element of firing a warning shot across the boughs of the Government.’’