‘The government is totally disconnected from the electorate’ - Aontu’s Paul Lawless reacts to anticipated defeat of referendums

AONTÚ’s Mayo representative has said he is ‘not one bit shocked’ by the expected defeat of both the family and care referendums.

Speaking to The Mayo News today (Saturday) from the referendum count centre at the TF Royal Hotel & Theatre in Castlebar, Paul Lawless accused the government of being ‘totally disconnected from the electorate and public opinion’.

The Mayo News understands that voters in Mayo have rejected the family referendum with a 76 percent ‘no’ vote from a valid poll of 41,782.

There were 10,217 ‘yes’ votes compared to 31,565 ‘no’ votes.

Taoiseach Leo Varadkar and has already admitted defeat in both referendums despite the official count not yet being completed.

The care amendment would have removed wording from the constitution pertaining to a woman’s duties in the home and added new wording relation to the value of care. The family referendum sought to afford constitutional recognition to families founded upon ‘other durable relationships’.

Each party in Dáil Éireann – except for Aontú – campaigned for a ‘yes’ vote in both referendums.

“It’s very clear that the government is totally disconnected from the electorate and public opinion. And I think there’s serious questions to be answered from government in terms of just the disconnect that is so apparent here at the polls,” Mr Lawless told The Mayo News.

Mr Lawless said that the care amendment would not have bestowed any greater rights for carers.

“It wouldn’t bestow any greater rights or supports for them. In fact ‘strive’ means nothing,” he said, referring to the proposed wording stipulating that the state ‘strive’ to support carers.

“We strive to give up chocolate for new year’s [resolutions] and for most people it doesn’t last long. And also insulated the state in terms of their responsibility. I think people realised that it actually pushed the responsibility of care back into the home and back on the shoulders of families who are already overburdened by the enormous task of caring for people, their family members with disabilities for ​eighteen-​twenty hours a day.”

He also accused the government of not understanding the meaning of the family amendment, claiming it would have resulted in ‘a lawyer’s bonanza’.

The local election candidate called on the government to focus on ‘bread and butter issues’ such as housing, health, farming and cost of living instead of ‘culture wars’.

Describing the referendum as ‘deeply flawed’, Mr Lawless said many people he canvassed were ‘confused and frustrated’ by the referendums, adding that he did not meet anyone who said they were voting ‘yes’ to either.

“I think the people have given a resounding response to government and I really do believe there’s many questions the government need to answer in terms of how they got this so wrong and why they spent €20 million of taxpayers’ money on a referendum that nobody asked for and indeed that the people have given a resounding answer to,” Mr Lawless added.

Results of the care referendum from Mayo are expected to be known in the coming hours.