Sharon Keogan (Independent) | Oireachtas source

The Electoral Commission claimed a poster I sponsored is factual misrepresentation of the existing text of the Constitution with regard to the two proposals being voted on on Friday. There is no error in this. I was never contacted by the commission before it released a statement about me. The Minister, Deputy Heather Humphreys, writing in the Irish Independent yesterday, said that a “Yes” vote means more help for carers. Why has the commission not corrected this blatant falsehood? Time after time, the Supreme Court relied on Article 41.2 in divorce cases. The court rejected in divorce cases, in assessing alimony and maintenance, that a woman is obliged to seek work outside the home out of economic necessity. This article protects women in divorce cases who wish to parent in the home. Removing this protection puts women at risk of being forced to work outside the home. This is the point of my poster and I will hold the Electoral Commission accountable for its bias.

In addition, the commission’s so-called research advisory group further brings into question the bias of the organisation. This group includes senior NGO officials who have a clear agenda in the very referendums and elections that the commission is meant to regulate impartially. This group includes an officer of the Immigrant Council of Ireland, an officer of the Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission and Orla O’Connor of the National Women’s Council of Ireland. How can we trust in the impartiality of the commission when its own advisory board is stacked with individuals who have vested interest in the outcome of these crucial decisions? Clearly, the composition of the Electoral Commission does not inspire confidence in its ability to fill its duties impartially.

It is still possible in Ireland to have an opposition to the Government for now but it might not be for much longer.