Local Independent councillor, Paul Hogan, has welcomed the resounding defeat of the two referenda, expressing his thanks to his fellow consituents for voting with their hearts and minds.
“I welcome the resounding defeat of both referenda the voting for which took place on Friday last. Over the last number of weeks, I spoke to numerous people, those from within our constituency of Longford/Westmeath and across the State, who voted ‘No/No’ to the referenda in their overwhelming numbers.
“Those advocating for a ‘Yes/Yes’ were very complacent in their approach. Most parties did not even canvass for a ‘Yes/Yes’. There was a lot of discomfort about removing the reference to ‘mother’ in the Constitution. Others were concerned about the lack of definition for durable relationships and language such as ‘strive’. Many felt that the State were attempting to abdicate their responsibilities in providing care for people. The language was incredibly weak and vague and was not strong enough to assist people who provide care or those in need of care in the State.
“I shared the concern of the people regarding the Minister’s refusal not to publish the Attorney General’s legal advice and then continued to misrepresent the points contained within. I was also very concerned that the wording from the Citizens Assembly was not published with a justification presented as to why the Government chose the wording that they did for the referenda.
“Thirdly, I shared the concern of many others that there was no pre-legislative scrutiny on the referenda leaving the interpretation solely with the courts. That is not the approach that elected representatives were elected to do.
“There was a huge sense around the constituency that the Government and opposition parties were not representing the views and concerns of the electorate. The language in the referenda appeared to be rushed and there was a strong feeling that a decision was made by Government not to hold these referenda on the same day as the local and European elections in June.
“I want to thank the people of Longford/Westmeath, who in their resounding numbers, stood up against a tidal wave of spin and ambiguity. This was a lesson for those in the Government and opposition parties on how to listen to people into the future,” Cllr Hogan stated.
