The Director of the National Women's Council of Ireland has said it is "not a surprise" that a proposed referendum to replace the constitutional reference to women's duties in the home has been postponed.
Yesterday, Minister for Children Roderic O'Gorman said the referendum would not take place this year.
A November referendum had been promised by the Government earlier this year, following a recommendation from a Citizens' Assembly on gender equality.
Speaking on RTÉ's Morning Ireland, Orla O’Connor said it was very clear once the Government did not announce the wording before the Dáil rose before the summer recess that it was very unlikely to be this year.
She said: "I think what's really important at this point and I would agree with the minister, is that the wording absolutely needs to be well thought out and we want to see that wording published as soon as possible."
Ms O’Connor said if the referendum is early next year, which the council would hope for, "then the wording needs to come out within the next few weeks because it's very important that the public has time to consider the changes and that we've time for that national conversation in terms of what's involved".
Today on #RTETWIP, Minister for Children @rodericogorman talks to @lawlor_aine about amending the constitution in upcoming referendum on gender equality.
— The Week in Politics (@rtetwip) September 24, 2023
The Week in Politics rebroadcasts at 10pm on the @RTENews Channel and 11pm @RTEOne 📺 pic.twitter.com/2N4tDKqTNT
She said there are "significant pieces of this referendum".
"We've known for a long time that we need to remove Article 41.2, which relates to very much saying about women's role in the home and the National Women's Council is very clear; we want to see that out but also and significantly is the inclusion of the value of care and recognising the importance of care in our society," Ms O'Connor said.
She said that the council agreed with the wording of the Citizens Assembly about recognising care and all its forms inside the home, but also in the wider community.
Ms O’Connor explained that it would not be about the inclusion of the word carers in the Constitution but rather about the value of care in our society.
She added that limiting the wording to care in the home would not be OK for the National Women's Council "because we want to see that broad recognition".
"This has been well debated and has also gone through even before the Citizens Assembly, previous constitutional reviews that have recommended that broad wording so.
"So that's what the Government needs to do and they need to come out and publish it."
