The Taoiseach has said he would like to see a referendum next year on the constitutional clause that mothers should not be obliged by economic necessity to work outside the home.

However, Micheál Martin said the “devil is in the detail” when it came to how to word the proposal and that sufficient time would have to be given to a referendum commission to do its work before the issue is put to a vote.

Appearing before the Oireachtas gender committee on gender equality on Wednesday, Mr Martin warned that referendums had been lost through “bad preparation” and when people feel uninformed or that “the wool was being pulled over their eyes”.

The Fianna Fáil leader said the “most dangerous referendums” were those when all parties were in favour of an issue.

He said that if the committee could bring a “definitive conclusion and certainty” on how the issue should be approached, he would “like to see a referendum in 2023.”