Family and care referendums: Who’s who in the Yes and No camps as both sides prepare for March 8 vote

Equality Minister Roderic O’Gorman is leading the charge for a Yes-Yes vote. Photo: Stephen Collins

 Ellen Coyne

Thu 22 Feb 2024 at 02:30

As we head into the final two weeks of the campaign before the family and care referendums on March 8, both sides of the debates are redoubling their efforts. With the Irish public preparing to go to the polls on International ­Women’s Day, who is in the Yes camp and who is in the No?

Yes-Yes

The National Women’s Council of Ireland

The most prominent Yes-Yes campaign group is the National Women’s Council of Ireland. It has called for a Yes vote in both the family and care referendums.

While it concedes that the wording of the new care amendment is not perfect, it argues that it will be an important first step to improve the rights of carers in Ireland. It also believes the existing wording of the “woman’s place” article, which would be replaced by the new care amendment, is misogynistic.

Treoir

The national advocacy service for unmarried parents has a major interest in the family referendum, which would change the constitutional definition of the family as being based on marriage. Treoir argues that this would be a landmark reform for the rights of unmarried parents and families in Ireland. Treoir is also calling for a Yes in the care referendum.

The largest representative body for carers in Ireland said a Yes-Yes would be crucial for recognising the invisible work done by carers in Ireland, and recognising the rights of all kinds of families.

Politicians

Equality Minister Roderic O’Gorman is the cabinet member leading the charge for a Yes-Yes. The Green Party, Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael are all calling for a Yes-Yes. And despite raising concerns about the strength of the wording of the new care amendment in particular, Sinn Féin, Labour, the Social Democrats and People Before Profit have all rowed in behind a yes.

No-No

The Iona Institute

David Quinn, Maria Steen, Breda O’Brien and Patricia Casey, some of the Iona Institute’s most prominent spokespeople, are all advocating for a No-No vote.

Conservative commentators feel that the care referendum would remove constitutional protection for mothers, many of whom would rather work in the home if they could afford to. Members of the Iona Institute have also raised concerns about what they perceive to be the uncertainty of the family referendum.

Other conservative groups such as Family Solidarity and The Christian Solidarity Party have also said that they are calling for a No vote in both referendums.

Certain politicians

So far, Aontú is the only political party that has come out for a No-No vote. Some individual or independent politicians have also become prominent campaigners for No-No. Independent senators Rónán Mullen and Michael McDowell have both warned against putting the new care and family amendments in the Constitution.

Yes-No or other

Equality Not Care

A new campaign group of disability campaigners, family members of disabled people and feminists who have come out for a progressive No vote in the care referendum. The group has decided not to take a position on the family referendum.