A referendum to change the Constitution will be held on June 11th, 2004. On the same date the local elections and European Parliament elections will be held.

In the constitutional referendum you will be asked to vote YES or NO to a proposal to change the Constitution in relation to the constitutional right of people born in the island of Ireland to Irish citizenship.

The constitutional right of every person born in the island of Ireland to be a citizen of Ireland is contained in Article 2 of the Constitution. This article became part of the Constitution in 1998 and came into operation in 1999. This was agreed as part of the Good Friday agreement. It meant the Oireachtas no longer had the power to decide whether or not citizenship could be withheld from any person born in the island of Ireland.

On June 11th you are being asked to vote on whether or not the following new wording should be put into Article 9 of the constitution.

1. Notwithstanding any other provision of this Constitution, a person born in the island of Ireland which includes its islands and seas, who does not have, at the time of the birth of that person, at least one parent who is an Irish citizen or entitled to be an Irish citizen is not entitled to Irish citizenship or nationality, unless provided for by law.

2. This section shall not apply to persons born before the date of the enactment of this section. If the majority vote YES to this proposal the Constitution will be changed and it will mean that people born here after the amendment takes effect will not have the right to be Irish citizens, unless one of their parents either is an Irish citizen or is entitled to be an Irish citizen at the time of the birth. The Oireachtas will then be in a position to pass legislation which governs how other people born in Ireland may become Irish citizens.

If the majority vote NO to this proposal the Constitution will not change. This will mean that any person born on the island of Ireland will continue to have a right to be an Irish citizen. The Oireachtas will remain unable to pass legislation restricting that right.

The government is proposing the change while other political parties and groups representing the rights of asylum seekers are opposing the change. But it is a decision for the people of Ireland, we have been asked to vote on this major change to our constitution and we should take time to reflect on all the relevant facts to make an informed decision which should not be rushed.

A booklet on the referendum can be obtained from the Referendum Commission, 18 Lower Leeson Street, Dublin. www.refcom.ie