Care amendment wording weakened to save government money, says Senator

Senator Tom Clonan claimed that the government changed the Care amendment wording to avoid paying supports to disabled citizens to live independently of their families.

“Minister O’Gorman told me that himself at a meeting in December,” Senator Clonan said at a public event in Galway on Monday.

“Wording recommended by the Citizen’s Assembly was deliberately edited out by the government…because they don’t want to pay.”

Galway Pulse reached out to Minister O’Gorman’s office but did not receive a reply in time for publication.

The idea behind the proposal

The 8 March Family and Care Referendum will ask voters to decide whether to change the wording of Article 41 of the Irish Constitution. Participants will be asked to vote on two separate amendments relating to family and care.

In the proposed Care amendment, the State “recognises that the provision of care by members of family to one another … gives to Society a support without which the common good cannot be achieved, and shall strive to support such provision.”

“We are looking to put in place an onus on the State to support family care,” Minister O’Gorman said at the launch of the Green Party’s campaign for a Yes vote in this referendum.

“It will be relevant to negotiations around the Budget and ultimately I have no doubt it will be interpreted by the Supreme Court in cases where individuals – Irish citizens – who feel that the government of the day isn’t doing enough to support their care,” Minister O’Gorman said.

The ‘Yes’ vote has garnered support from government parties – The Green Party, Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael – as well as Sinn Féin, Labour, the Social Democrats and People Before Profit. Organisations such as Treoir, The National Women’s Council of Ireland, and Family Carers Ireland have likewise called for voting in favour of the Care amendment.

Dissenting Voices

However, disability advocates such as the ‘Equality not Care’ campaign called for a ‘No’ vote on the Care amendment due to finding it ablest and ageist. Supporters of the No vote also include the Aontú party, the Irish Catholic Bishops Conference and conservative organisations such as the Iona Institute, Family Solidarity and The Christian Solidarity Party.

Senator Clonan likewise found the proposed wording “flawed”.

“The word ‘Strive’ … indemnifies the State, indemnifies the HSE.”

“This wording ought to be challenged,” he said. But the one on the ballot today represents “our patriarchal, paternalistic notions put to paper”.

The polling station for the referendum opened at 7:00am today. Irish citizens over the age of 18 who have registered on the Register of Electives and bring a valid form of personal identification will be able to participate.