Referendum body to publish guide

The Referendum Commission formally unveiled its public information campaign on the children’s referendum in Dublin this morning.

The commission urged all voters to use their vote on November 10th.

The referendum will introduce a new article into the Constitution, Article 42A, and will remove Article 42.5. Its aim is to strengthen the rights of children under the Constitution.

Commission chairwoman Ms Justice Mary Finlay Geoghegan said the commission’s role was to give a general explanation of the subject matter of the referendum proposal.

A guide had been developed for the purpose and will be circulated to just over two million homes in the State over the next 10 days. “More detailed background information and useful links will be available on our website, referendum.ie,” she said.

There would also be an extensive public information campaign in all media to explain the referendum and encourage people to vote.

Ms Justice Finlay Geoghegan said she had written to broadcasters asking for more time to be allotted to their broadcasts on the referendum, given the low level of debate on the matter so far.