‘Pay back to carers the money you wasted’ – Senator

An Irish senator has called on Government to pay the amount spent on the referendum to carer/disability charities, as they have been “cavalier with public monies”.

Senator Rónán Mullen, one of the few politicians who campaigned for a No/No vote in the referendum, said the Government should “come under pressure” to direct €20 million to those they claimed would be better off following changes to the Constitution – a proposition voted down by more than 70% of people.

Senator Mullen said: “The cynicism with which they tried to keep people in the dark for as long as possible to prevent the scrutiny of the controversial wording and get it through with a fast campaign and the gimmick of doing it on International Women’s Day, the irresponsibility of that and the misuse of taxpayers money is why I’m calling for pressure to be put on the government to give back that €20m to carers and the people they care for.”

Aontú leader Peadar Tóibín TD told The Irish Catholic that people must get politically active to challenge the “bubble” of Government and opposition parties as well as NGOs who spearheaded the failed ‘care’ and ‘family’ referenda.

Mr Tóibín said: “It’ll be in the interest of that bubble that this story goes away and that this referendum is forgotten about as soon as possible but I think really what this has done is brought into sharp focus for many people the difficulties that exist in Ireland.

“Those bread and butter issues have to be focussed on and I believe the best way to keep the Government and the political bubble in check is for people to get active and politically involved,” he said, adding his party will “build on that energy for the local and European election. The issue at the heart of the Government defeat actually still exists and that is the political establishment not listening to people”.

Following the “massive defeat”, barrister and campaigner Maria Steen said people understood the Government’s proposals and what was at stake, “a further step in the erasing and degradation of women and of motherhood, and an attack on the home and marriage. Not alone that, but we could all see that the suggestion that the proposal was designed to do something for carers and those with disabilities was as insincere as the wording was ineffective”.

Writing in this paper, Ms Steen also said: “The resounding defeat tells a story: people are fed up with the stifling consensus among the political elites, in which any voices that dare to oppose the establishment line is ridiculed, rejected or ignored – or portrayed as a ‘basket of deplorables’ or more colloquially, ‘prophets of doom’.

“The result was a rejection of a political body that is out of touch with the people, rather than what the media would like to portray: a people out of touch with their political betters.”