Booklets from the Referendum Commission explaining the abortion referendum will be delivered to 1.3 million homes in the final week before polling day on March 6th.
The decision marks a significant shift by the Referendum Commission, which had earlier said such a delivery was impossible because it had not been given enough time to prepare.
The text of the 20-page booklet, which will include the text of the referendum's wording and the legislation accompanying it, has already been sent to printers contracted by the Government Supplies Agency (GSA).
Initially, the GSA, which is part of the Office of Public Works, believed it could not meet the deadline because the contract would have to go to tender under European Union rules.
However, the contract is covered by an exemption allowed by Brussels for urgent cases.
Under an agreement with the Communications Workers' Union, An Post is forced to give 10 days to postmen to deliver unaddressed mail. Postmen are paid per piece of mail delivered.
Members of the public will be able to get copies of the booklet from a special distribution centre that will be set up within days, a Referendum Commission official, Mr Tom Morgan, said yesterday.
The Government yesterday rejected claims by the Opposition that it had brought pressure to bear on the Referendum Commission, which is headed by the former President of the High Court, Mr Justice Frederick Morris.
Privately, the Commission acknowledged that it had been not been put under pressure by the Government, even though Ministers were annoyed by its original decision not to deliver booklets.
News that the home delivery would take place was announced by the Minister for Justice, Mr O'Donoghue, on RTE's Questions & Answers programme.
Labour Party TD, Mr Eamon Gilmore said: "It is totally inappropriate that such an announcement should have been made by the Minister rather than by the Commission itself. The Commission has an important statutory role to play in regard to the dissemination of information on this referendum, but if it is to retain the confidence of the public, it must not only be independent of the Government, but be seen to be independent."
However, the Government last night said the Referendum Commission had notified it at 7.20 p.m. on Monday night of the change of plan. "They told us that a statement would come in the morning," said a spokesperson.
In the Dáil, the Tánaiste, Ms Harney, said: "I was not involved in any discussions with the Referendum Commission nor do I believe the Government was involved in any discussions with the Referendum Commission."
Following changes to the Referendum Act in December, the Commission no longer has to put both sides of the argument. Instead, it is required to draft a "general explanation" of the issue at hand and foster debate about it.
Mr Morgan told The Irish Times: "It is as objective as is humanly possible. . . We have spent a good solid week on this."
