The Taoiseach has condemned the special protection given by the Constitution to the family “based on marriage” as anachronistic for not including other kinds of families. He made the remark during a Dail exchange on the women in the home provision in the constitution. He indicated that Government would look at the definition of the family next year with a view to another referendum.

He was responding to a question from Eamon Ryan of the Green Party who recommended that instead of deleting the Constitution’s article on protecting mothers in the home, it should be reworded to support all kinds of gender-neutral, caring work. However, the Taoiseach said the Government want to delete the article as they believe it is “sexist and anachronistic”. He said that there needs to be a re-consideration of caring and the definition of the family at some stage. But for now, he added, “It is time to separate this idea that women are inherently linked with caring and family because a woman’s place is where she wants it to be and that is not necessarily in the home.”

He also said the definition of the family in the constitution, as based on marriage, “is anachronistic too” as, he claimed, it does not see one parent or lone parent families as families. Because of this, he said, the Government will look at redefining the family in 2019.