‘Tight’ timeline for housing referendum within lifespan of Coalition, says Tánaiste

Tánaiste Micheál Martin has said that it will be “very challenging” to hold a referendum on housing.

Mr Martin said today that while Minister for Housing Darragh O’Brien has received advice on the issue from the Housing Commission, which was asked to study the wording of a constitutional referendum, it would be “very tight” to do so within the lifetime of this Government.

The Coalition today announced plans to hold a pair of referendums on family and care, which will expand the constitutional meaning of the family and delete references to a woman’s duties in the home.

It also intends to hold a referendum to formally ratify an agreement on the Unified Patent Court, which Mr Martin said is important for businesses, as well as the local and European elections next year.

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[ Opinion: A constitutional right to housing could restore faith in our political system ]

The work of the commission on the referendum question has been riven by division among members, who have not been able to agree on a proposed wording. This has, in turn, badly delayed its work.

The commission is split and is now expected to deliver majority and minority reports on the constitutional question. The most recently published commission minutes from meetings outline that the principle of a minority report was supported by members present.

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Property developer Michael O’Flynn and economist Ronan Lyons are interested in participating in a minority report, according to the minutes. It is understood concerns have been raised about the implications of creating constitutional rights to housing and the potential for litigation arising from where in the Constitution such a commitment would be placed.

Mr Martin said that deliberation on the referendums to proceed next year had shown that outwardly simple adjustments can be much more complex when studied in detail.

“They can have significant wide-ranging implications,” said Mr Martin, who also indicated that a referendum on extending voting rights in presidential elections would be considered next year, with advice from the Attorney General and others presenting “a different context to what might seem initially fairly straightforward simple amendments”.

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