Martin rejects claim that FF is ‘male, pale and stale’
We will not exclude men, says Tánaiste in rebuke to FG MEP on referenda
MICHEÁL Martin yesterday defended his decision to appoint a man as his party’s director of referendums – saying Fianna Fáil was not going to ‘exclude men’ from any form of deliberations in public life.
Junior sports minister and Meath East TD Thomas Byrne has been given the role for the upcoming referendums.
Two votes will be held on March 8 to amend Ireland’s Constitution. The first is on whether the Constitution should be altered to extend the definition of ‘family’ beyond only those based on marriage to include ‘durable’ relationships.
The second is on whether to delete a reference to the role and duties of women in the home and replace it with a new article placing an obligation on the State ‘to strive to support’ the provision of care by families.
There have been some eyebrows raised within the party at Mr Byrne’s appointment, with Fine Gael appointing Heather Humphreys as its own director.
Fianna Fáil has also come in for criticism from Fine Gael MEP Maria Walsh on its selection of three male candidates in their mid-50s for the upcoming European elections.
Ms Walsh said ‘male, pale and stale’ was a ‘common theme’ in the European Parliament.
She added: ‘We are not a representation if we continue to send certain age, certain skin colours, certain gendered people back here [to Strasbourg]. And the fact that a Government party has only selected... three men, well that’s on them.’
Defending his decision to appoint Mr Byrne, Mr Martin said: ‘I don’t propose to exclude men from any form of deliberations in public life. I have great confidence in Thomas Byrne, who has a strong legal background. He’s a good campaigner, a good communicator, so I decided to ask him to lead this campaign.’
Mr Martin said no one had come to him in the party to complain that he had appointed a man to lead the campaign.
He also rejected the characterisation of Fianna Fáil as ‘male pale and stale’. ‘Not at all,’ he said in response to the suggestion. Taking a swipe at Ms Walsh, he said: ‘Hadn’t heard from Maria for a while. We are in a bit of a campaign. People say things like that to get them the headlines. It happens in electoral contests, that is the context of those comments.’
And in an indication that Fianna Fáil will add two women to its European election tickets across the country, he said Ms Walsh should be ‘careful’ what she wishes for. ‘The tickets aren’t complete,’ Mr Martin added.
Norma Foley and Anne Rabbitte, two female Fianna Fáil ministers, backed Mr Byrne to lead the election campaign.
Ms Foley, the Education Minister, said she had ‘every confidence’ in his ‘ability to run this campaign’. She said it was ‘shortsighted’ to be asking who was running what campaign.
Ms Rabbitte said Mr Byrne’s background meant he could clarify obtuse legal language.
‘Great confidence in Thomas Byrne’
Mr Martin also confirmed the Government would not be re-running the referendums if they lose the two votes early next month.
It came as Mr Byrne pushed back against what he called the ‘fear-mongering’ that went on in ‘every single referendum’.
Mr Martin said everyone should be ‘vigilant’ about debates that get started by ‘unreasonable things’. He continued: ‘The harsh reality is that we have at various points over the years had referendum campaigns which have been distorted by what we today call disinformation. Extreme and inventive claims against European treaties have been a part of nearly every campaign in the last 50 years, often causing genuine public concerns on the basis of invented claims about generally modest legal text.’
Mr Martin said the proposed changes would reflect the reality of contemporary Irish society, adding: ‘A reality which is more inclusive, a reality which respects the right of women to choose their own role in society, a reality which acknowledges the diversity of Irish families, a reality which values the role of care for our more vulnerable citizens.’
Elsewhere, Public Expenditure Minister Paschal Donohoe said he was ‘clear’ that the tax status of key issues would not be affected by the referendum proposals.
Mr Donohoe was responding to claims from senator and former attorney general Michael McDowell, who said he was denied access to deliberative documents created by civil servants as the State prepared for the proposed changes to the Constitution.
He noted potential concerns around tax policy, succession planning and criminal law.
Mr Donohoe defended not releasing the documents. He said: ‘That’s for the referendum commission to answer any questions impartially. I think there is a real risk in a referendum period that if you began to release matters that were deliberative in nature, through the FoI process, [it] might be seen to be in some way influencing the process.’
‘Diversity of Irish families’