Dáil Éireann debate -
Wednesday, 20 Sep 1995

Vol. 455 No. 8

Written Answers. - Referendum Expenditure.

Ivor Callely

Question:

109 Mr. Callely asked the Minister for Equality and Law Reform his views on the proposed £500,000 expenditure on the divorce referendum; if he opposes the spending of such moneys on advocacy advertising which could be seen as exhorting people to vote in one particular way or as failing to recognise both sides of the issue; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13181/95]

Minister for Equality and Law Reform (Mr. Taylor)

In each of the years 1994 and 1995 there has been provision in the Estimates of my Department of £500,000 for an information programme on the referendum on divorce. In each of those years it has always been made clear in reply to questions in the House on the matter that the information contained in the programme would be of a factual kind commensurate with the need to let voters know the details of the Government's proposals.

No expenditure was incurred by my Department in 1994. The expenditure incurred in 1995 so far is the following—

Item	Cost
	£
1. Production of 2,200 copies of the Government's Paper “The Right to Remarry” (for sale to the public at £4 a copy)	Production costs not available as yet.
2. MRBI poll on views of people on grounds for divorce	18,150
3. Departmental information leaflet on Family Law and support services	868

The paper at 1 above details the legislative framework and the support services (mediation, counselling and legal aid) which are in placevis-à-vis marriage breakdown and which would apply on the introduction of divorce. The paper also contains the text of the Fifteenth Amendment of the Constitution Bill 1995 as well as the text of the Family Law (Divorce) Bill which will be introduced in the event of the referendum proposal being carried.

A contract for the consultancy services of the Quinn, McDonnell and Pattison Group has been approved by the Government Contracts Committee. Their fee is £34,000. The Government has announced that it proposes to provide a facility to groups representative of the arguments for and against divorce to make their case to voters. The Minister for the Environment is in the process of making the necessary arrangements. A Cabinet sub-committee is considering all forms that expenditure should take on the information programme.

The Government has a duty and responsibility to inform the public about its proposals and is taking into account the fact that there are opposing views. The Government parties will, of course, be inviting the people to vote in favour of its referendum proposal, as in the case of Governments in previous referenda. The Government, as Government, will be providing information in its campaign. The advocacy in regard to voting intentions will be a matter for the political parties supporting the Government.