Almost three-quarters of the electorate are confused about the upcoming citizenship referendum, according to research carried out by the Referendum Commission.
The research showed that 71 per cent of the electorate did not understand what the referendum on Irish citizenship was about.
The chairman of the Commission, Mr Justice Nicholas Kearns, said the Commission would be making clear the implications of a Yes vote or No vote in the referendum via a booklet that will be posted to every household and through a broadcast advertising campaign.
He said the referendum was a "constitutional amendment of substance" and "not just a technical or mechanical change to bring Ireland into line with some treaty or some international obligation".
"A Yes vote means the right to legislate for citizenship by birth will be restored to the Oireachtas - with the exception of those born with an Irish citizen parent who will continue to enjoy the constitutional guarantee which legislation cannot take away," said Mr Justice Kearns.
He added that a No vote means the present constitutional regime will continue, whereby all persons born on this island are as a result automatically entitled to citizenship as a constitutional right.
The market research also showed there is some confusion among voters surrounding the fact that a Yes vote will mean that citizenship is likely to be more restricted than it is at present.
"This confusion arises because people believe that anyone wanting to vote to restrict something is more likely to be saying No and anyone voting to leave the current Constitutional position in place is more likely to be saying Yes," said Mr John Fanning of McConnells Advertising who carried out the research on behalf of the Commission.
The Commission's role is to explain the subject matter, promote awareness and encourage voting when referendums are held.