Taoiseach takes swipe at Lisa Chambers for voting no in recent referendums

The country voted no to both referendums last Friday

Ms Chambers, who is running for Fianna Fáil in the European elections, said she had changed her mind on both referendums after reading leaked advice from the attorney general.

Taoiseach Leo Varadkar has taken a swipe at Fianna Fáil senator Lisa Chambers after she admitted voting no in last week’s referendums.

The country voted to reject two changes to the Constitution, with both of Friday's referenda being rejected.

The family amendment proposed extending the meaning of family beyond one defined by marriage and to include those based on “durable” relationships. It was defeated with more than 67% voting against.

The care amendment proposed deleting references to a woman’s roles and duties in the home, and replacing it with a new article that acknowledges family carers. Some 73.9% voted no.

Mr Varadkar said he would never tell the public to vote in a certain way and then do the opposite himself.

It comes after Ms Chambers revealed that she had voted against both questions put forward by the Government on family and care.

Taoiseach Leo Varadkar delivers a keynote address reflecting on the life and legacy of President Kennedy and how his legacy continues to have lessons for the global challenges of today, at the President John F. Kennedy library,

Asked about Ms Chambers’ actions, Mr Varadkar said: “Certainly, from personal experience any time I've been involved in elections or referendums, I've voted the way that I've campaigned.” 

Speaking in Boston, he told the Irish Examiner: “If I ask people to vote yes, then I vote yes. If I ask people to vote no, I vote no. If I ask you to vote for a particular candidate, I vote for those candidates and that's just the way I do things.” 

The Fine Gael leader added that he is confident that the “majority” of his own party TDs and senators voted yes in both referendums which were defeated in last Friday’s vote.

Mr Varadkar said no one in his parliamentary party had come to him to say they had voted against the Government’s proposed constitutional amendments.

Ms Chambers, who is running for Fianna Fáil in the European elections, said she had changed her mind on both referendums after reading leaked advice from the attorney general. She had previously canvassed for a yes vote.

Outlining the reasons why she decided to vote no in the care referendum, Ms Chambers said she was uncomfortable that the word 'mother' was being taken out of the Constitution.

“It didn't sit right with me, my gut told me that it wasn't the right move."

She also told RTÉ’s Drivetime programme that she did not inform Tánaiste Micheál Martin of her position ahead of the vote.