The Minister for Justice has said he and the Government have been vindicated in the decision to hold the citizenship referendum on the same day as the local and European elections.
Mr McDowell also said he was "owed an apology" by those who claimed the referendum was racist.
Speaking on RTÉ television this evening, the minister accused his critics of "promiscuous use of language" during the referendum campaign.
The Government had said today, the day of the local and European elections was the day to decide the citizenship issue and had been vindicated in that decision by the turnout and the initial indication of a high percentage approval by the electorate, Mr McDowell indicated.
Speaking during the same debate, the Sinn Féin vice president Mr Pat Doherty said he believed it was "quite disgraceful" to introduce inequality into the Constitution via the referendum.
Mr Doherty said it was not a good day for the Irish people. The electorate had been "bounced" into a decision on the citizenship issue and, when this happened, they would alway take the "safe option", he added.
The Green Party TD Mr Eamon Ryan said the citizenship issue should have been dealt with through proper channels. There should have been a white paper, a green paper and debate in the Dáil on the matter, he said.
Mr Ryan said that if such changes were planned in the future, they should follow the "proper processes".