Referendums set to tackle thorny issues

This morning, The Irish Times is bringing you the news you have long anticipated . . . the Government is to hold a referendum to cement the position of Ceann Comhairle in the Constitution.

Oh, and it will also ask the people if blasphemy should be considered an offence and whether to repeal the Eighth Amendment of the Constitution.

Today the Taoiseach will bring a memo to Cabinet advising of the potential timescale for referendums to be held over the next two years.

Among the many issues are questions over whether to remove the Eighth Amendment, which places the life of the unborn on an equal footing with the life of the mother, from our Constitution; whether the Constitutional clause that a woman’s place is in the home remains valid; if the offence of blasphemy should be removed from the Constitution; if the divorce term should be reduced and whether Irish citizens living abroad should be given the right to vote in Presidential elections.

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These are questions that could help define and shape the future of Ireland and give us an insight into how liberal or conservative this country really is.

The issue of the Eighth Amendment, the offence of blasphemy and reducing the divorce term have proven to be extremely emotive issues for many people. Politically, they could be incredibly toxic.

The timing of each ballot will be important. The Government will be eager to avoid holding such referendums close to each other, as it may give rise to concerns from some religious communities.

There is also the added complication of a visit by Pope Francis in the latter half of 2018 - which could further polarise discussion around some of the more emotive topics.

However, the Taoiseach should be given credit for finally making decisions on issues that have been long-fingered by many who have gone before him.

Fight, fight, fight for your love

While you are at work slaving away, you can rest assured that your beloved politicians are fighting over what will serve you best in October’s Budget.

The latest argument is over whether the Government will stand by the commitment given to Fianna Fáil to extend mortgage interest relief in Budget 2018.

The pledge was originally given by the former minister for finance Michael Noonan but has yet to be given the green light by his successor, Paschal Donohoe.

This dispute comes on top of the separate row between the same parties over what form of tax reductions you should get. Neither is pointing out how little each will contribute to your wages.

The Independent Alliance also meets the Minister for Finance this week to assess the stance of its wish list for Budget 2018.

All the while, all three are focusing their efforts on where the political gains are - in a budget that should be focusing on reducing childcare costs for working families, and addressing in a meaningful way the housing crisis we are all enduring.

Instead all three will continue to bicker until October 10th. And you will be falling over yourself as you figure out who deserves your praise more.