The idea that upcoming referendums could lead to increased immigration to Ireland has been described as a “red herring” by Taoiseach Leo Varadkar.
It comes as voters will take to the ballot boxes this Friday to decide on broadening the definition of family and carers in the constitution.
On The Hard Shoulder Today, the Taoiseach said he planned on “ramping up” his campaign in the coming days, despite a yes vote performing well in polls, because “the results of these referendums really matter”.
Mr Varadkar said the vote will have no impact on immigration, which is being used as a distraction from the real issue.
“The immigration question is very much a red-herring,” he said.
“It’s already the case in our law that there is no automatic right to family reunification - even if you are married to someone there is no automatic right.
“That is notwithstanding all the protections in the constitution around marriage and married families so that won’t change.”
Values
The Taoiseach said a yes vote in the referendums would be a “statement of our values as a nation and of society”.
“I want children to wake up Saturday morning when the votes are counted and know our country believes all families are equal,” he said.
“It doesn’t matter whether your parents are married or not or whether you're raised by a single mum, single dad, your grandparents, guardian – we believe in a country that says all families are equal, which is not what our constitution says at the moment.”
Misinformation
The Taoiseach said there is a lot of misinformation being spread around the proposed use of ‘durable relationship’ to describe a family in the constitution.
“A durable relationship might be a new term in our constitution, but it’s not a new term in law as it’s already used in European law and case law,” he said.
“A durable relationship is a relationship that is long-term, that’s committed, that’s intended to last, that is open and is seen and accepted as such.
“I think there are a lot of weird, wild, and wonderful ideas as to what a durable relationship is, but it isn’t any of those things.
“It’s what we know it to be: A relationship between a single mum and her kids, a relationship between a couple co-habiting for two, five, or more years who has kids.”
The Taoiseach said the current definition of a family and carer is outdated and what the current referendums are doing is “constitutional catchup”.
You can listen back here:
Main image: Taoiseach Leo Varadkar during a press conference at Stormont Castle, Belfast, 05-02-2024. Image: PA Images / Alamy
