Junior minister wrong: Balance is required in coverage of referendum

I was surprised that junior minister Aodhán Ó Ríordáin, who is leading the Government campaign on gay marriage, doesn’t seem to be familiar with the rules governing referendums.

He was reported in the Irish Examiner on January 1 as saying, in respect of broadcasting coverage, that “there’s no requirement for 50/50 [between the ‘yes’ and ‘no’ sides]. The requirement for 50/50 is in funds, that’s the McKenna judgement. The 50/50 is in that regard”.

This is incorrect. The McKenna judgment does not require that there be 50/50 funding in a referendum campaign.