Offaly minister makes 'misinformation' claim in row with TD over referendums

THE Offaly-based Green Party Minister of State, Senator Pippa Hackett, has accused the Independent TD in the county, Carol Nolan, of “misinformation” in advance of Friday's referendums.

Minister Hackett said she is greatly disappointed, but not surprised, to be “only strong political representative in Offaly calling for a Yes Yes vote”.

“Unfortunately, a No vote from Offaly will send a strong signal across Ireland that the county remains in the rigid and conservative mindset of Archbishop John Charles McQuaid from 1937 when he co-authored Bunreacht na hÉireann, the Constitution of Ireland. Dark days for women indeed, when pregnancy was enforced, a ring on your finger meant you gave up public work, and pregnancy outside of marriage meant incarceration,” said Minister Hackett.

“Of the Offaly-based Oireachtas representatives, Independent TD Carol Nolan, is advocating for a No vote in both the Family and the Care referendums, basing her campaign on misinformation.”

Minister Hackett also had a word for Offaly's only Government TD: “Barry Cowen TD hasn’t mounted a campaign at all, managing nothing more than a lacklustre nod for a Yes vote in both referendums.”

Deputy Nolan called for a No vote on both “unnecessary” referendums, saying a Yes vote will result in no special recognition for women or mothers in the constitution.

She also said the proposals infer no new rights for disabled people or their carers and furthermore she said there is no definition of durable relationships.

There is also no clarity on how existing immigration law, tax law, pension law and succession law will be affected in the event of the changes to the constitution being passed.

The independent TD also claimed a Yes vote will result in “no legal incentive to marry” and called on people to say No to “rushed and guillotined legislation”.

Deputy Nolan concluded a social media post by saying there was “No need to waste €20 million on unnecessary referendums”.

Minister Hackett said a Yes vote in the Family referendum will broaden constitutional protection to different family types, other than those founded on marriage.

“It will deliver a Constitution which is reflective of life in Ireland today - where 43% of children are born outside of marriage, and 85% of lone parents are women. Deputy Nolan does not have the right to tell these parents or these children that they are not real families.”

The Green Party representative added: “For those of us for whom the institution of marriage remains important, the amended Constitution will continue to recognise marriage as an institution that the State must guard and protect, as it should.

“Deputy Nolan continues to misinform her constituents by saying that a Yes vote in the Care referendum will mean ‘no special recognition at all for women or mothers in the Constitution’.

“When in reality a majority Yes vote in the Care referendum, will actually remove sexist language from our Constitution; language which for too long has ascribed a certain place for women in Irish society - in the home. We all know that this is not reflective of today’s Ireland.

“The current language places women apart from their male counterparts, with a duty that men do not have. This is not the ‘special recognition’ I aspire to for myself or my daughters.

“I am in favour of women having the right to make choices over their own destinies, while my Oireachtas colleague, Deputy Nolan, repeatedly shows she is not.

“Women should be free to decide for themselves where their place is, and our Constitution should value the care they choose to give, but also value the care given by fathers, siblings, and grandparents. And the State should strive to support this care. That is what the new wording in the Care referendum will enable.

“There is nothing to fear from two Yes votes on Friday, which will align our Constitution with the modern Ireland of the 21st Century, and not keep it back in the dark ages of the 1930s. Please exercise your right to vote and show Ireland that Offaly stands for progress, inclusion and equality.”

Over 58,000 Offaly voters will have the opportunity to go to the polls this Friday, March 8 for the two constitutional referendums.

According to figures from the county returning officer, there are 58,459 people on the Offaly register and voting will take place in 108 polling stations across the county.

Voters will be asked to mark their ballots Yes or No to questions on two proposed amendments to the constitution, the 39th amendment of the Constitution, relating to the family, and the 40th amendment, relating to care provided by family members.

The 39th amendment will be on a white ballot paper and the 40th will be green.

According to the Electoral Commission, if a majority vote Yes on the family amendment, the constitutional protection of “the Family” would be given to “both the Family based on marriage and the Family founded on 'other durable relationships'.”

“The Family founded on marriage means the unit based on a marriage between two people without distinction as to their sex.

“The Family founded on other durable relationships means a Family based on different types of committed and continuing relationships other than marriage.

“So, different types of family units would have the same constitutional rights and protections.

“The institution of Marriage will continue to be recognised as an institution that the State must guard with special care and protect against attack,” the commission says.

The care amendment proposes to delete two articles. The first states: “In particular, the State recognises that by her life within the home, woman gives to the State a support without which the common good cannot be achieved.”

The second states: “The State shall, therefore, endeavour to ensure that mothers shall not be obliged by economic necessity to engage in labour to the neglect of their duties in the home.”

Those two articles would be replaced with this one: “The State recognises that the provision of care, by members of a family to one another by reason of the bonds that exist among them, gives to Society a support without which the common good cannot be achieved, and shall strive to support such provision.”

Polling will take place between 7am and 10pm on Friday and counting of the votes for both Offaly and Laois will take place in Scoil Chríost Rí, Borris Road, Portlaoise, on Saturday, March 9, where the first ballot boxes will be opened at 9am.