Posters erected on behalf of Independent Senator Sharon Keogan contain a “factual misrepresentation” about what is being proposed in this Friday’s referendums, the Electoral Commission has warned.
Ms Keogan last week started an online fundraiser to print the posters, one of which urges people to vote No while stating: “Don’t force mothers out to work.” She has raised nearly €25,000 so far through a GoFundMe page.
In referendums due to take place on March 8th, the Government proposes expanding the definition of family in the Constitution to recognise “durable relationships”, such as cohabiting couples and their children, and to replace the language around “women in the home” and mothers’ duties in the home with language recognising care within families.
In a statement, chairwoman of the Electoral Commission Ms Justice Marie Baker said there is nothing in either of the referendum proposals that would force women to either stay at home or go out to work.
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“An Coimisiún Toghcháin is clear that one of the posters which have been posted in a number of areas in Dublin and elsewhere under the imprint of Senator Sharon Keogan is an incorrect representation of what people are being asked to vote on this Friday.
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“People should be aware that there is nothing in the Constitution or in either of the two referendum proposals which will force women to go out to work or to stay at home. To suggest otherwise is a factual misrepresentation of the existing text or the two proposals.
“As we enter the final days of these referendums campaigns, An Coimisiún Toghcháin will continue to provide clear factual information for voters through our booklet, through our website, through public information visits, and through our local and national media engagement. Again we ask people to inform yourself from reliable sources, make up your own mind and then please vote this Friday, March 8th.”
The Electoral Commission said that while legislative provisions in Parts 4 and 5 of the Electoral Reform Act 2022 that deal specifically with area of misinformation have yet to be commenced, “An Coimisiún Toghcháin, in our role as Ireland’s independent electoral commission, is statutorily required to provide an explanation of the subject matter of referendums and to support people in accessing factual information.”
Ms Baker said the Commission “welcome the respectful debate and exchange of ideas which has been under way, on which people can individually reflect ahead of voting on Friday, March 8th. As the Commission set out in our Referendum Information Booklet, we should always question whether information is true; who is providing the information; why they are providing the information, and how it can be confirmed or reconsidered.”
In a statement, Senator Keogan said “when the votes have been counted on Saturday there will be plenty of opportunities to carefully re-examine the role, tone and content of the Commission’s statements to determine whether the Commission has ever identified any single potentially negative consequence of the proposed amendments as it ought to have done.
Does it matter if the Government lose these referendums?
“I will hold the Commission accountable. In the meantime, I am increasingly confident that voters will reject the amendments and prevent the deletion of Article 41.2 which will keep in place existing Supreme Court decisions protecting parenting women “from being forced by economic necessity” to work outside the home. I stand by my poster.”
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