Convention chairman refutes claim of 'flawed process'

The chairman of the Constitutional Convention is refuting claims that pressure was put on some members to support a particular line.

Over the weekend the convention voted to recommend a referendum on same sex-marriage.

After the event, Independent Senator Ronan Mullen said the debate had been a "flawed process".

He said documentation commissioned from various experts ahead of the meeting failed to be completely impartial and that some citizen members felt they had been pressured by politician members to support a particular line.

However, convention chairman Tom Arnold says this was not the case.

Mr Arnold said: "We have procedures within the convention so that people can express views in a safe way, if you like, at tables.

"At each table we have a note taker and a facilitator under clear instruction to report if extra pressure or undue pressure or bad behaviour was happening at their table and I got no reports of that at all."