A chara, – Harry McGee’s analysis of the referendum result (November 13th) fails to take into account key issues in Saturday’s higher than expected No vote.
What about claims that reform on adoption law could have been done through legislation?
Or the dire economic situation of the country? Many people voted No because it meant giving increased (and undefined) powers to a State hell-bent on slashing health and welfare budgets. Our social workers are overworked and underresourced. Some on the No side may have felt that these resources should have been shored up before adding to their responsibility.
Let us not forget that children have been removed from families only to end up in police stations because of a lack of proper facilities.
As usual, the losing side of the referendum is largely described as maintaining status quo either because they were under-informed or wanted to teach the Government a lesson. God forbid we’d want to acknowledge that they may have had a point! – Is mise,