Labour Women

Labour Women Blog

Constitutional Convention and women

January 31, 2013

The Tanaiste Eamon Gilmore first proposed the Constitutional Convention as part of Labour's reform agenda. The Government established the Constitutional Convention in 2012 and this month the constitutional convention met for the second time.

Labour Women have campaigned for a number of years to see changes to the constitution in order to secure greater equality for women. In the coming months the constitution will address the constitutional reference to women as home makers and also women's participation in politics.

The Convention met for the first time in December 2012 to discuss proposed amendments to the Constitution. The Convention has 100 members: a chairman; 29 members of the Oireachtas (parliament); 4 representatives of Northern Ireland political parties; and 66 randomly selected citizens of Ireland.

The Convention is mandated to consider eight specified issues, and may initiate more proposals if time permits. The specific issues are : 1.reducing the Presidential term of office to five years and aligning it with the local and European elections; 2.reducing the voting age to 17; 3.review of the Dáil electoral system; 4.giving citizens resident outside the State the right to vote in Presidential elections at Irish embassies, or otherwise; 5.provision for same-sex marriage; 6.amending the clause on the role of women in the home and encouraging greater participation of women in public life; 7.increasing the participation of women in politics; 8.removal of the offence of blasphemy from the Constitution. 
It met for the first time in December 2012 to discuss proposed amendments to the Constitution of Ireland. The Convention has 100 members: a chairman; 29 members of the Oireachtas (parliament); 4 representatives of Northern Ireland political parties; and 66 randomly selected citizens of Ireland.

Any citizen can make submissions to the convention and you can get more information from this link.