Permanent referendum body proposed

Moves to place any future referendum commission on a permanent footing were floated yesterday as Government ministers blamed others for the low turnout over the weekend.

One Labour minister suggested that the independent commission should be given more powers to inform voters, while others hit out at the media and even the public.

Deputy Labour leader Joan Burton said the Government should consider whether to establish the referendum commission on a more permanent basis.

The no campaign has hinted at a possible legal challenge.

Both sides are awaiting the publication of the detailed judgment of a Supreme Court ruling that information provided by the Government was not fair, impartial or equal, and that details on its leaflets and website did not conform to set standards.

Speaking on RTÉ’s Morning Ireland, Ms Burton said: “I think there’s merit perhaps at looking at having a more permanent form of referendum commission if we are going to have referenda on a regular basis and that the referendum commission would be largely responsible for the information. I think that is something that the Government will have to sit down and consider very carefully.”

Sinn Féin questioned whether the State could afford a permanent commission.

Brian Hayes, the junior finance minister, also said that some type of education programme for the public relating to the Constitution could be a useful way forward.

Justice Minister Alan Shatter hit out at the media and said the referendum only received adequate coverage shortly before voting.

Speaking in Tipperary, he said the Government ran a “very vigorous campaign with great difficulty” and was grateful all parties in the Dáil supported it. “I’d be interested if the media acknowledge this. Because there wasn’t, in the eyes of the media, adequate conflict in the early days of the campaign, very little of what was being said was reported.”

Labour’s campaign director Kathleen Lynch told Newstalk she was “very annoyed” at those who did not vote on Saturday.

“I would have to say that it’s been my experience as a politician down through the years that those who shout the loudest usually do very little about it when they get the opportunity… I always get very annoyed at people who don’t vote, and I must admit that I think we treat our democracy as if it were some kind of à la carte menu that we can pick up and put aside and other countries have shown us that you simply can’t do that.”