‘There is time to inform electorate’

Children’s Minister Frances Fitzgerald has said the wording for the referendum on children’s rights is being finalised and there will be enough time to inform the electorate ahead of a vote.

The Fine Gael minister said she did not believe the Government was running out of time to prepare voters for the autumn referendum.

She and other ministers yesterday refused to indicate when the referendum will be held.

The poll will not be able to be held until the end of October at the earliest because of a constitutional requirement to set up a referendum commission as well as to allow a run-in period before a vote.

Fianna Fáil has said that it may not co-operate in backing a yes vote with the Government because of the delay in deciding when the referendum will be held.

Ms Fitzgerald said: “It’s not late, I’ve said all along that it is on track for the autumn. If you look at the time frames we’ve had for referenda, there’s adequate time to get the information out there to the public and to have a strong campaign.”

She denied that it was extraordinary that the wording for the referendum was still to be decided.

“You have to have very constitutionally robust wording. We’ve been working on that and on the legislation and it’s very close to finalisation,” she said.

Ms Fitzgerald addressed Labour TDs and senators at the party’s pre-Dáil think-in in Maynooth, Co Kildare.

Ms Fitzgerald also said that adoption legislation was being finalised by the Cabinet.