THE FORTHCOMING constitutional convention could be a wasted opportunity because its initial remit is too narrow, human rights organisation Amnesty International has warned.
Initial topics for consideration include reducing the presidential term to five years; provision for same-sex marriage; amending the clause on the role of women in the home; removing blasphemy from the Constitution; and reducing the voting age to 17.
“The constitutional convention could have been a chance to examine how we change the fundamental laws of this country to better protect the human rights of people in Ireland,” Amnesty executive director Colm O’Gorman said.
“The Government has only specified a limited number of issues for consideration by the convention, some of them relatively minor and technical in nature.”
A Red C Express poll commissioned by Amnesty and published today finds that among 1,005 interviewees 78 per cent believed the Constitution should be amended to include rights to health and housing.
Four out of five also believe the convention should examine the right of access to healthcare and adequate housing.
