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Plebiscite on the Draft Constitution 1937

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Plebiscite on the Draft Constitution 1937 NOTE: On 23 August 2016, an error was corrected on page 95, in the column ‘Votes in favour of proposal’. The correct figure for Dublin Central is 12,012 and the overall total is 520,898, reflecting the certified result of the referendum as published in Iris Oifigiúil on 26 May 2015. RREEFFEERREENNDDUUMM RREESSUULLTTSS 11993377 –– 22001155 Published: 23 August 2016 REFERENDUM RESULTS 1937 – 2015 PUBLISHED BY THE DEPARTMENT OF THE ENVIRONMENT, COMMUNITY AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT DUBLIN AVAILABLE TO DOWNLOAD (in pdf format) AT www.housing.gov.ie CONTENTS Page 1. Foreword ................................................................................................................... 6 2. Procedure at an ordinary referendum....................................................................... 9 3. Procedure at a constitutional referendum................................................................. 9 4. Conduct of a referendum .......................................................................................... 9 5. Referendum Commission ....................................................................................... 12 6. Referendum Law .................................................................................................... 14 Referendum Results 1937 – 2015 7. Plebiscite on the Draft Constitution (1937) ............................................................. 18 8. Referendum on the voting system (1959) .............................................................. 20 9. Referendum on the formation of Dáil constituencies (1968) .................................. 22 10. Referendum on the voting system (1968) .............................................................. 24 11. Referendum on accession to the European Communities (1972) ......................... 26 12. Referendum on the voting age (1972) .................................................................... 28 13. Referendum on recognition of specified religions (1972) ....................................... 30 14. Referendum on adoption (1979) ............................................................................. 32 15. Referendum on university representation in Seanad (1979) .................................. 34 16. Referendum on the right to life of the unborn (1983) ............................................. 36 17. Referendum on extension of voting rights at Dáil elections (1984) ........................ 38 18. Referendum on dissolution of marriage (1986) ...................................................... 40 19. Referendum on ratification of the Single European Act (1987) .............................. 42 20. Referendum on European Union (1992) ................................................................ 44 21. Referendum on right to life (1992) .......................................................................... 46 22. Referendum on travel (1992) .................................................................................. 48 23. Referendum on information (1992) ......................................................................... 50 24. Referendum on dissolution of marriage (1995) ...................................................... 52 25. Referendum on bail (1996) ..................................................................................... 54 26. Referendum on cabinet confidentiality (1997) ........................................................ 56 27. Referendum on the Treaty of Amsterdam (1998)................................................... 58 28. Referendum on the British-Irish Agreement (1998)................................................ 60 4 29. Referendum on local government (1999) ............................................................... 62 30. Referendum on prohibition of death penalty (2001) ............................................... 64 31. Referendum on the International Criminal Court (2001) ........................................ 66 32. Referendum on the Treaty of Nice (2001) .............................................................. 68 33. Referendum on Human Life in Pregnancy (2002) .................................................. 70 34. Referendum on the Treaty of Nice (2002) .............................................................. 72 35. Referendum on citizenship (2004) .......................................................................... 74 36. Referendum on the Lisbon Treaty (2008) .............................................................. 76 37. Referendum on the Treaty of Lisbon (2009) .......................................................... 78 38. Referendum on Judges’ Remuneration (2011) ...................................................... 80 39. Referendum on Houses of the Oireachtas Inquiries (2011) ................................... 82 40. Referendum on the Treaty on Stability, Coordination and Governance in the Economic and Monetary Union (2012) .................................... 84 41. Referendum on Children (2012) ............................................................................. 86 42. Referendum on Abolition of Seanad Éireann (2013) ............................................. 88 43. Referendum on Court of Appeal (2013) ................................................................. 90 44. Referendum on Marriage Equality (2015) .............................................................. 92 45. Referendum on Age of Eligibility for Election to the Office of President (2015) ..... 94 Appendices Text of Statement for Information of Voters issued at: 1. Referendum on recognition of specified religions ....................................... 99 2. Referendum on British-Irish Agreement .................................................... 100 3. Referendum on Human Life in Pregnancy ................................................ 103 4. Referendum on the Lisbon Treaty ............................................................. 104 5. Referendum on the Treaty of Lisbon ......................................................... 106 6. Referendum on Judges’ Remuneration..................................................... 109 7. Referendum on Houses of the Oireachtas Inquiries ................................. 110 8. Children...................................................................................................... 111 5 1. Foreword The purpose of this booklet is to set out in convenient form the subject matter and result of each referendum held during the period 1937 to 2015. The plebiscite on the draft Constitution in 1937 is also included. The draft Constitution was approved by the people at a plebiscite held on 1 July 1937. The Constitution provides for two kinds of referendum - a referendum on a proposal to amend the Constitution (referred to in law as a "constitutional referendum"), and a referendum on a proposal other than a proposal to amend the Constitution (referred to in law as an "ordinary referendum"). An ordinary referendum may take place when a proposal contained in a Bill is determined to be of such national importance that the will of the people thereon ought to be ascertained. No ordinary referendum has taken place to date. A constitutional referendum relates to proposals for the amendment of the Constitution. The first two amendments to the Constitution took place during the transitional period within which the Constitution could be amended by ordinary law without a referendum in accordance with Article 51. These amendments were effected by the First Amendment of the Constitution Act 1939 and the Second Amendment of the Constitution Act 1941 respectively. Referendums have taken place on a total of thirty-eight proposals to amend the Constitution. Twenty-seven have been approved by the people and eleven have not. 6 Summary Results of Constitutional Referendums AMENDMENT APPROVED AMENDMENT NOT APPROVED Voting system 1959 Formation of Dáil constituencies 1968 Voting system Accession to the European Communities 1972 Voting age 1972 Recognition of specified religions Adoption 1979 University representation in Seanad Right to life of the unborn 1983 Extension of voting right at 1984 Dáil elections Dissolution of marriage 1986 Single European Act 1987 European Union (Maastricht) 1992 Travel 1992 Right to life 1992 Information Dissolution of marriage 1995 Bail 1996 Cabinet confidentiality 1997 7 AMENDMENT APPROVED AMENDMENT NOT APPROVED Treaty of Amsterdam 1998 British-Irish Agreement Local government 1999 Death penalty 2001 Treaty of Nice 2001 International Criminal Court Human Life in Pregnancy 2002 Treaty of Nice 2002 Citizenship 2004 Lisbon Treaty 2008 Treaty of Lisbon 2009 Houses of the Oireachtas Judges’ Remuneration 2011 2011 Inquiries Treaty on Stability, Coordination and Governance in the Economic 2012 and Monetary Union Children 2012 Court of Appeal 2013 Abolition of Seanad Éireann 2013 Age of Eligibility for Election to the Marriage Equality 2015 2015 Office of President This booklet contains a summary of the procedure in relation to the conduct of a referendum, the text of the amendments and the referendum results. Department of the Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government September 2015 *NOTE: On 23 August 2016, an error was corrected on page 95, in the column ‘Votes in favour of proposal’. The correct figure for Dublin Central is 12,012 and the overall total is 520,898, reflecting the certified result of the referendum as published in Iris Oifigiúil on 26 May 2015. 8 2. Procedure at an ordinary referendum An ordinary referendum may take place when
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