Michelle Mulherin (Mayo, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I am looking at the specimen ballot paper. Referendums differ and giving too much detail may be prejudicial to the matter being put to the people. Underneath, we could ask whether people approve of the proposal to abolish the Seanad. There were multiple parts to it but that is what would have happened. People would have been clear in that situation. It is always an issue of legalese. It is a bit like the rabbit in the headlights when people see sections quoted and they wonder what they must do. I agree with Mr. Falvey. Over 50% of people talk about confusion. The confusion is compounded when they see the ballot paper. As citizens, people see it as their duty to vote and vote on everything. They are confused coming in. I go to polling stations and I hear commentary from presiding officers that people are making comments about being unsure. That points to what has been discussed generally by people, that there is a need for more information. Is there a fundamental problem?

I agree with the point made by Deputy Micheál Kitt. I have never seen a referendum where people have not said they were confused. It may be about the ballot paper or about how they were going to vote. When they vote on council elections, Dáil elections or European elections, unless they have a particular objective to spoil a vote, they vote because they connect with the person. One can question whether they really know us and whether they know what the referendum is about. It is very confusing.

In the children's referendum, the rule guaranteeing equal coverage to those for and against meant that clarification could have been provided by me but, because media could not find someone to argue against the referendum, what I had to say could not be in the paper or presented on radio. It borders on the ridiculous. There will always be issues with referendums. Unless it is a clear-cut question like whether to join Europe, going into topics like a court of appeal means that it is confusing. People argue strongly on each side, which is good because we are in a democracy. There will always be confusion about referendums. That is the issue and we must clarify as much as we can with the information. We should make people feel comfortable.

I think that is what Deputy Charles Flanagan was saying. We need to ensure people do not feel overwhelmed when something is put in front of them. When they see references to sections of legislation, etc., they wonder what it really means. They feel like they are on the spot. They feel like they are doing an exam. That is what it is like. People bring that confusion with them when they are not clear from the outset about how they want to vote in a referendum. They might trust me or Deputy Ó Snodaigh and decide how to vote on the basis of what one of us has said. That is the truth. I hope people will continue to do that.