The imminent Family and Care referendums, which are due to take place within the next 24 hours, have been met with an evident lack of confidence from the government. The run-up to this voting day has been marked by a lacklustre, clumsy campaign that has struggled to engage the interest of the public.
As we approach referendum day, polls indicate a significant portion of voters remain disengaged. The campaign has seemingly flown under their radar and recent trends show a decline in both the Yes and No camps, with a concurrent increase in those in the ‘don’t know’ category. Evidently, many constituents are left perplexed by the whole process. It’s quite understandable, given the complex nature of the questions posed and the vague, contested ramifications of either a Yes or No vote. A lack of consensus amongst societal and special interest groups, with some progressive organisations siding with No, while professional groups undergoing bitter internal battles after advocating for Yes, has furthered this confusion. Given all these factors, along with the likelihood of a low voter turnout, predicting the referendum outcomes is no easy task.
As reported by Jennifer Bray, a pervasive sense of scepticism reigns amongst the government TDs, casting a cloud over Leinster House this Wednesday. Conversely, those backing the No side seem to have found fresh vigour despite forming a parliamentary minority. They have remained resilient throughout the campaign.
The Taoiseach, from afar in Bucharest, made an attempt to motivate the supporters, declaring that a No vote would be a “retrograde step for the nation”. The Irish Times’ political team will be monitoring the vote counting over the weekend so stay in touch for updates.
This week’s best reads include Mark Hennessy’s piece on SDLP’s unifying vision and Newton Emerson’s take on Micheál Martin’s strategic approach to the same topic. Naomi O’Leary covered the topic of civil servants and protest in relation to Gaza while Keith Duggan reported on Nikki Haley’s withdrawal from the GOP primary race. Check out the full articles in our Playbook.
The Prime Minister continues his journey to Bucharest for a European Peoples’ Party conference, while the Finance Minister Michael McGrath embarks on a three-day visit to London – today’s agenda involves mingling with financial institutions and tomorrow’s schedule includes meetings with the governor of the Bank of England and the lord mayor of London City.
In the Irish Parliament, oral inquiries are slated for Micheál Martin at 9am, succeeded by Eamon Ryan at half-past ten. At noon, the Leaders’ question session takes place, followed by queries on Policy or Legislation. The afternoon session is designated for Governmental business where statements on the Nature Restoration Law are made, succeeded by discussions on topical issues.
The Senate commences at half-past nine, with an Amendment Bill related to the European Arrest Warrant and legislation concerning safe access zones progressing through the upper chamber before recess at 2pm.
The Housing Committee sustains its groundwork on the development and planning bill with Darragh O’Brien in the morning, along with an update for the Committee regarding the Shared Island Unit’s operations in context with the Good Friday agreement implementation.
What else is on the agenda: President Michael D Higgins is anticipated to return to the presidential residence from the hospital today. A meeting between Eamon Ryan and Michael O’Leary is scheduled shortly after their recent heated exchanges (wishing to be a discount observer on that wall).
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