Leo: Yes vote will keep us on a pathway of tolerance
A No vote would ‘stall society’ says Taoiseach
TAOISEACH Leo Varadkar has called for a high turnout in Friday’s referendums on Family and Care with the pledge that the vote offers Ireland a ‘defining moment to define our values as a society’.
Mr Varadkar said: ‘Our Constitution isn’t just a legal document. It’s also a statement of our values, how we see ourselves and others.’
The Taoiseach pledged: ‘A Yes vote will say to families led by single parents, grandparents, and co-habiting couples that we see
‘Recognise them as a real family’
them and recognise them as a real family.’ Amidst growing Coalition concern about polling a sharp decline in the Yes vote in Mr Varadkar said: ‘A Yes vote will say that family care is not just the work of women or mothers.’
A Yes vote would send a message that: ‘It should be shared by fathers and sons and that the State should do more to support it.’ Mr Varadkar added: ‘A Yes vote will keep Ireland on a pathway of liberalism, tolerance and modernity.
‘By contrast, a No vote will be seized on a victory for those who want to slow or stall our progress as a society. It is an important decision.’ The Taoiseach’s intervention came against a backdrop of growing Government unease over a tightening in support for the Coalition’s proposal in the polls. An Ireland Thinks poll published yesterday revealed that support by the Yes side has fallen by five points to 42%. Support for the ‘No’ vote has fallen to 23%, with those who are now Uncertain increasing by 12% to 35%. A similar ominous shift has occurred in the referendum on care with support dropping by 10 points to 39%, with opposition dropping by a significantly smaller margin of three points to 24% and uncertainty increasing by 12 points to 36%.
The Yes vote is just 3% ahead of those who are uncertain. The Coalition is expected to ratchet up its campaign in the final week with one senior source saying: ‘This is all about turnout: every increase in turnout above a baseline of 25% increases the progressive vote by 1.6%.’
There are concerns though within the Coalition that ‘the effectiveness of the campaign’ is being compromised by unease amongst Sinn Féin, the Social Democrats and Labour.
All three are supporting the referendum, but Sinn Féin has pledged a re-run should it fail. The ambivalent position of the Social Democrats was outlined by Jennifer Whitmore who noted: ‘We have been left with a choice between leaving misogynistic language in the Constitution or replacing it with wording on care that is an improvement but should have gone much further.’
She added: ‘I believe voting Yes/ Yes will be a step in the right direction.’
The Government is also believed to have been ‘spooked’ by the intervention of former AG Michael Mc Dowell and a coalition of lawyers.
One source noted: ‘He has shot down a referendum before (on the powers of Committees), he knows how to do this.’
The campaign under Mr McDowell has stressed that the referendum will: ‘Create new and unforeseen equality and non-discrimination cases, family law including division powers on incomes, homes, businesses, and farms including pension law, succession law, taxation law and immigration law.’