Minister for Transport Leo Varadkar has said he would welcome a
statement from the Catholic bishops outlining their position on the
children’s rights referendum which will take place on Saturday.The Irish Catholic Bishops’ Conference, which is the assembly of bishops, has yet to give an official response to the proposed constitutional amendment but will do so ahead of polling day, according to the Catholic communications office.
Mr Varadkar, who is Fine Gael’s director of elections for the referendum, said he welcomed the Catholic Archbishop of Dublin Diarmuid Martin’s personal endorsement of the proposal.
The Minister was asked if he thought the bishops should offer formal guidance to Catholics on the matter soon.
“I would very much welcome the views of the bishops. They’re entitled to give their view and if they want to give their view that of course is welcome,” Mr Varadkar said.
“But even leaving that aside if you look at the number of organisations that have come out in favour, that is really overwhelming…Almost any organisation that works with children has come out in favour of the referendum and that’s the most important endorsement to us.”
He said “Catholic voters” should not be concerned about any aspect of the referendum and stressed that the constitutional article 41 which relates to the family would remain “intact and unamended”.
Mr Varadkar criticised prominent No campaigner former Independent MEP Cathy Sinnott, who claimed a child in care was six times more likely to die than a child that remained within the family when she appeared on RTE’s Prime Time last Tuesday night.
He said Ms Sinnott was wrong.
“Obviously we very much respect the views of our opponents but I am a little bit concerned about some of the No campaign assertions…I really would appeal to everyone who is taking part in this referendum and engaging with the debate to do so on the basis of facts and not on scaremongering,” he said.
Mr Varadkar said the referendum was about protecting children, ensuring that they were safe and giving them a “second chance at family life if they haven’t had that up until now”.
He was speaking at the launch of Fine Gael’s online campaign video in Dublin along with Minister for Children Frances Fitzgerald.