A majority of attendees at a debate at South East Technological University (SETU) indicated they would vote No No in the upcoming family and care referenda.

Over 100 people, mostly students, listened as Councillor Mary Roche (Social Democrats) and Senior Lecturer in Management at SETU Ray Griffin were on the side of the ‘Yes, Yes’ vote. Lecturer in Religious Studies and Social Ethics at SETU Colette Colfer and Wicklow woman Catherine Monaghan were on the ‘No, No’ side.

Colette Colfer said a “gender neutral Constitution is a neutered constitution, robbed of vitality, maturity and wisdom.”

Stay at home mother Catherine Monaghan said she faced judgement, and endless questions when she decided to stay at home to raise her first child.

“Our constitution says that I was doing work without which the common good cannot be achieved. Yet everybody around me, even strangers would ask, ‘When was I going back to work?’”

A show of hands at the end of the event showed a majority in favour of a ‘No, No’ vote.