McDonald would run March referendums again in Government should votes fail

Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald has potentially altered the course of the upcoming referendums on Family and Care by saying she would re-run the votes should Sinn Féin get into Government with more clarity surrounding the wording.

McDonald made the announcement, having previously stated that the party would back a Yes-Yes vote on March 8th, albeit with major reservations.

Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald said “Government have chosen to propose very minimal changes and the question for Sinn Féin is to support some change or no change at all.”

She said that should the votes fail and Sinn Féin gets into power, they would re-run the votes and follow the wording suggested by the Citizen’s Assembly in 2021.“Yes. I mean, we would return to Citizens’ Assembly wording, that’s what should be happening now,” she said, adding that if the referendums are not successful, Sinn Féin re-run the referendums “early” in their term of government.

“We would return to Citizens’ Assembly wording, that’s what should be happening now,” she said, stating that if the referendums are not successful, Sinn Féin would re-run the referendums “early” in their term of government.

The Citizen’s Assembly suggested inserting a new clause into Article 40 that would refer explicitly to gender equality and non-discrimination, make the Family text non-gendered and amend Article 41 so that it would protect private and family life, with the protection afforded to the family not limited to the marital family.

The Irish Civil Liberties Union and Free Legal Advice Centres have advocated for a No vote on the Care referendum stating that the proposed changes are token and do not adequately address the concerns of people with disabilities.

Disability advocacy groups in particular have called for a No vote on the Care amendment on the grounds that the language proposed is too vague and does not significantly advance disability rights.

The ICCL said the Care amendment “will not provide meaningful legal protection to any person who gives or receives care.”

FLAC stated that a Yes vote on the Care amendment “is unlikely to provide carers, people with disabilities or older people with any new enforceable rights.”

They said that the wording that will appear on the ballot paper is not adequate to meet the needs of people, and in this context, people with disabilities.

“The wording is specifically limited to family care and does not relate to care in the community or in schools,” they stated.

In December, Minister Roderic O’Gorman called on progressives to back the votes.

Speaking to the Irish Times before Christmas, the Dublin West TD and Minister for Integration said “any organisation that sees itself as progressive and as wanting to advance progressive change would have to explain why they do not support the plans.”