No side needs ‘miracle’ to win referendum, campaigner concedes

The no side in the children’s rights referendum campaign have said it will take a “miracle” for them to win but have attacked the media and others for allegedly failing to inform the public on issues sufficiently.

The comments came as campaigners canvass voters in the closing days before voting.

Richard Greene of the Christian Solidarity Party said it would take a “miracle” for voters to reject the proposed amendment of the Constitution. He said that, with the major parties supporting a yes vote, “it’s a massive mountain to defeat”.

His supporters also attacked the media and claimed coverage of both sides had not been equal.

Mr Greene also alleged the independent Referendum Commission had failed to fully inform voters of all the facts, including that a yes vote would help ratify a UN treaty.

No campaigners claimed that a yes vote would see a “mini-troika” introduced in every family home, with significant intervention and supervisory powers being granted to the State.

“Experts point out that the State already has all the power that it needs,” said Mr Greene. “The Constitution never prevented it from protecting children. The failures were all its own doing. The real agenda [of the referendum] is to dismantle parents’ authority to protect their children, especially teenagers, and to increase state control.”

However, the yes side yesterday argued the no side’s arguments were fuelled by paranoia, poor research, and hysteria.

Youth groups from the major parties came together and called on young people to come out and vote yes.

Earlier, the Irish Foster Care Association hit back at claims that some families were taking care of children “for the money”.

Retired Judge Catherine McGuinness, who backs a yes vote, said the idea foster parents did it for money was quite extraordinary.

Meanwhile, Independent Tipperary South TD Mattie McGrath has declared he will vote no in the referendum, saying: “The proposed amendment undermines ‘the family’ and if the State are seriously concerned about protecting children’s rights, they should be putting more and more resources in to protect and support vulnerable children and their parents rather than wasting resources on a referendum.”