Tipperary TD says wording of amendments in Family and Care Referendums was 'ham-fisted'

Independent Tipperary TD Mattie McGrath and his daughter Máirín McGrath have welcomed the double "No" vote in the Family and Care Amendment Referendums in Tipperary. 

They were present at the counting of votes for both referendums at the Tipperary Constituency Count Centre at the Presentation Secondary School in Thurles today Saturday (March 9). 

Independent TD Mattie McGrath, who campaigned for a “No” vote in both referendums, welcomed the result as a “simple message” from the electorate to an “arrogant, out-of-touch, uncaring” Government, as well as the opposition parties, army of NGOs and many media outlets who also supported a Yes vote.

He criticised the waiving of pre-legislative scrutiny of the wording of the Constitutional amendments as “very, very foolish”. This scrutiny would have allowed Dáil committee members to call in Department of Finance and Revenue officials to tell them of them the implications of the “durable relationships” wording in the Family Referendum.

He said the wording of the two referendums was “guillotined” through the Dáil and the result was a “ham fisted, dysfunctional wording and a haphazard campaign” despite all the money spent.

Cllr Máirín McGrath said she was glad the people of Tipperary didn't accept the Government's spin and voted “No” in both referendums. 

She said voters were cynical of what the Government had been telling them in relation to the Constitutional amendments proposed in the Referendums.

“We were told we were voting for one thing but the wording was much different and the people decided for themselves. They didn't think what the Government wanted to change was truly reflective of what they wanted in the country, particularly in the Care Referendum.”

She said there had been was no real campaign on the ground from the Government parties for these two referendums and noted there was no representatives of the Government parties or any political parties supporting a "Yes" vote in the two referendums at the count centre in Thurles today.

She said the Government had been saying that these referendums would further support the family but when you dug down into the wording, she argued that wasn't the case.

She said the proposed wording in the Care Referendum, in particular, was much weaker than the existing wording of the Constitution and argued the amendment as proposed was a “get out of jail” provision for the Government as it would have “removed the obligation on the State to provide care to families and people with disabilities”.

The Independent councillor said the overwhelming "No, No” vote to the proposed amendments to the Constitution was reflected all over the county and she felt it was a good message to send back to the Government, which had been getting away with so many changes without the people's consent.