Gender equality referendum date thrown into doubt by time needed for information campaign

A “proper information campaign” in advance of as many as three referendums on gender equality will take up to 16 weeks, according to the chief executive of the Electoral Commission, Art O’Leary.

That timescale adds to doubts over the Government’s intended November date for the people to vote on the issues of gender equality, the definition of “family” and the “place of women in the home”.

The plans for either an omnibus vote on all of the issues, or potentially three referendums, were announced in March in what Taoiseach Leo Varadkar described then as a “tight timeline”.

He told the Dáil earlier this month that the Government still intends to hold the referendum in November.

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It had been hoped that the wording would be published in June, but this did not happen.

The new An Coimisiún Toghcháin (The Electoral Commission), which replaces the previous Referendum Commission, is tasked with explaining referendum proposals in an independent and impartial way, promoting public awareness and encouraging people to vote.

The Irish Times asked Mr O’Leary if, in the absence of the wording being finalised before the return of the Dáil in September, the November referendum date is unlikely.

He replied: “It is difficult to see how we could do a proper information campaign if we had less than the 14 to 16 weeks required.”

Mr O’Leary added: “These things will ultimately be a matter for Government.”

[ Up to three gender equality referendums possible to address ‘discriminatory’ language ]

He said he understands how complex the issues to be put to the people are, adding that some of the choices to be made “require some deep thought because when you go to the people of Ireland and say we’d like to change our basic law, to do such a thing you need to be on firm ground”.

Mr O’Leary also said the Government and Houses of the Oireachtas will do as they desire and “we’ll deal with whatever comes.”

His remarks indicate that, ideally, the wording would be ready in August, for the commission to have between 14 and 16 weeks for the information campaign in advance of a November referendum.

Labour leader Ivana Bacik earlier this month raised concerns the November date will slip.

[ The Irish Times view on the planned referendum on gender equality: a more inclusive Constitution ]

She suggested Ministers are set to do a U-turn on the plan after neither Minister for Equality Roderic O’Gorman nor Tánaiste Micheál Martin confirmed to her in response to Dáil questions that the referendum will be held in November.

Mr Martin highlighted the “complexities” of the issues involved and said: “The various wordings that have come forward need rigorous assessment.” He added that amending the Constitution “can be quite complex in itself” and “we need to get it right”.

Ms Bacik expressed disappointment at the Ministers’ responses, saying Ireland has been criticised internationally “for the delay on deleting the sexist language from our Constitution”.