Referendum (Amendment) Act, 1979

What is this act about?

This law amends existing Referendum Acts to facilitate two specific constitutional referenda concerning adoption and the election of Seanad Éireann members by higher education institutions. It details how polling cards, ballot papers, and constituencies will be handled for these referenda.

Who it applies to: Electors whose names are on the register of Dáil electors and the postal voters list for a constituency; Presiding officers at polling stations.

At a glance

Country: Ireland
Area of law: Family law
Articles: 4
Source: irishstatutebook.ie
Text retrieved: 2026-06-17
Explanation updated: 2026-07-07

What does this act regulate?

The content and distribution of polling cards for specific constitutional referenda.
The process for assisting voters who need help marking their ballot papers during these referenda.
The definition of constituencies for the purpose of taking the poll in these referenda.
The specific wording to be added to ballot papers for the two referenda.

Who does this act apply to?

Electors whose names are on the register of Dáil electors and the postal voters list for a constituency.
Presiding officers at polling stations.

What are the key points?

Polling cards for postal voters will indicate they are for a postal voter and will not state the polling station number and place.
Polling cards will be sent to postal voters at the same time as their ballot paper.
Presiding officers may assist voters by reading out the proposal and asking "Do you approve of or do you object to that Bill becoming law?".
If a voter fails to understand the question, the presiding officer will read a specific statement and ask "Which do you wish to do—to vote in favour of the proposal to change the Constitution or to vote against the proposal to change the Constitution?".

Family law

Social Welfare Act, 1987

Adoption Act, 1976

Family Law Act 2019

Family Law (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act, 1997

Family Leave and Miscellaneous Provisions Act 2021

Commission of Investigation (Mother and Baby Homes and Certain Related Matters) Records, and Another Matter, Act 2020

Adoption (Amendment) Act 2017

Social Welfare Act, 1986

Family law

Legal text

Contents (4)

Section 1
Section 2
Section 3
Section 4

Referendum (Amendment) Act, 1979 Skip to content Disclaimer Feedback Helpdesk Gaeilge Léim go dtí an t-ábhar Séanadh Aiseolas Deasc chabhrach English Gaeilge English Produced by the Office of the Attorney General Táirgthe ag Oifig an Ard-Aighne Home Legislation Acts of the Oireachtas Statutory Instruments Pre-1922 Legislation Constitution External Resources Bills (Houses of the Oireachtas) Iris Oifigiúil / Official Gazette Revised Acts (LRC) Classified List of Legislation (LRC) Translations (acts.ie) Translations (Houses of the Oireachtas) Government Publications for Sale EU Law (EUR-Lex) FAQ Disclaimer Feedback Helpdesk Search Baile Reachtaíocht Achtanna an Oireachtais Ionstraimí Reachtúla Reachtaíocht Réamh-1922 Bunreacht Acmhainní Seachtracha Billí (Tithe an Oireachtais) Iris Oifigiúil Achtanna Athbhreithnithe (CAD) (An Coimisiún um Athchóiriú an Dlí) Liosta Rangaithe Reachtaíochta Aistriúcháin (achtanna.ie) Aistriúcháin (Tithe an Oireachtais) Foilseacháin Rialtais ar Díol Dlí AE (EUR-Lex) CCanna (Ceisteanna Coitianta) Séanadh Aiseolas Deasc chabhrach Cuardach TitleTeideal Year(s) or rangeBliain nó blianta nó raon TypeCineál All Legislation Acts Statutory Instruments Advanced SearchCuardach Casta HomeBaile ActsAchtanna 1979 Referendum (Amendment) Act, 1979 Referendum (Amendment) Act, 1979 Permanent Page URL View by SectionAmharc de réir Ailt View Full ActAmharc ar an Acht Iomlán Bill History Stair Bille Commencement, Amendments, SIs made under the Act Tosach Feidhme, Leasuithe, IRí arna ndéanamh faoin Acht Print Full ActPriontáil an tAcht Iomlán Number 10 of 1979 REFERENDUM (AMENDMENT) ACT, 1979 ARRANGEMENT OF SECTIONS Section

Section 1

Constitutional referenda in relation to Sixth Amendment of the Constitution (Adoption) Bill, 1978, and Seventh Amendment of the Constitution (Election of Members of Seanad Éireann by Institutions of Higher Education) Bill, 1979.

Section 2

Constituencies.

Section 3

Forms of ballot papers.

Section 4

Short title, collective citation and construction.

Number 10 of 1979 REFERENDUM (AMENDMENT) ACT, 1979 AN ACT TO AMEND THE REFERENDUM ACTS, 1942 TO 1973. [1st June, 1979] BE IT ENACTED BY THE OIREACHTAS AS FOLLOWS:

1.—At a constitutional referendum in relation to the Sixth Amendment of the Constitution (Adoption) Bill, 1978, and at a constitutional referendum in relation to the Seventh Amendment of the Constitution (Election of Members of Seanad Éireann by Institutions of Higher Education) Bill, 1979— (a) a polling card sent under section 64

(1)of the Electoral Act, 1963 , shall contain the statement set out in the Appendix to this section, (b) a polling card shall also be sent by the local returning officer for a constituency to every elector whose name is on the register of Dáil electors for such constituency and is on the postal voters list for such constituency, (c) a polling card sent under paragraph (b) of this section— (i) shall indicate that it is for a postal voter and shall accordingly not state the number and place referred to in the said section 64 (1), (ii) shall contain the statement referred to in paragraph (a) of this section, and (iii) shall be sent by post to the elector at the same time as his ballot paper is sent, being addressed to him at the same address as is stated on the envelope in which the ballot paper is sent, (d) subsections (3) to (6) of the said section 64 shall apply in relation to polling cards sent under paragraph (b) of this section, (e) copies of the statement referred to in paragraph (a) of this section shall be displayed by a presiding officer in and in the precincts of his polling station:

Provided that no referendum shall be invalidated by reason of any failure to display such copies in or in the precincts of any polling station, (f) in applying Rule 18 (inserted by the Electoral Act, 1963 ) of the First Schedule to the Referendum Act, 1942 , the following paragraph shall be substituted for paragraph (5)— “(5) (a) Where a ballot paper is to be marked pursuant to paragraph (3) of this Rule, the presiding officer may assist the voter by reading out in full from the ballot paper the proposal stated therein and asking the voter ‘Do you approve of or do you object to that Bill becoming law?’ and shall then, unless it is a case to which subparagraph (b) of this paragraph applies, mark the ballot paper in accordance with the answer of the voter, but he shall not act on any written instruction. (b) Where the voter fails to understand the import of the said question, the presiding officer— (i) shall read out to the voter such statement of the proposal which is the subject of the referendum as is set out in paragraph 1 of the Appendix to section 1 of the Referendum (Amendment) Act, 1979, (ii) shall then ask the voter ‘Which do you wish to do—to vote in favour of the proposal to change the Constitution or to vote against the proposal to change the Constitution?’, and (iii) shall then mark the ballot paper in accordance with the answer of the voter, but shall not act on any written instruction.”

APPENDIX 1. You may vote at the Referenda on two proposals:— WHITE BALLOT PAPER The Sixth Amendment of the Constitution (Adoption) Bill, 1978, proposes that an adoption which is in accordance with laws enacted by the Oireachtas shall not be invalid solely by reason of the fact that the relevant order or authorisation was not made or given by a judge or court but by a person or body designated for the purpose by those laws. The Bill relates to past as well as future adoptions. Its object is to ensure that adoption orders made by An Bord Uchtála (the Adoption Board) will not be in danger of being declared to be invalid because they were not made by a court.

GREEN BALLOT PAPER The Seventh Amendment of the Constitution (Election of Members of Seanad Éireann by Institutions of Higher Education) Bill, 1979, proposes the election by universities and other institutions of higher education specified by law of such number of members of Seanad Éireann, not exceeding 6, as may be specified by law. Those so elected would be in substitution for an equal number of the members elected at present (3 each) by the National University of Ireland and the University of Dublin. The Bill also proposes that nothing in Article 18 of the Constitution shall prohibit the dissolution by law of those Universities.

2.If you APPROVE of the proposal in the Bill to which the ballot paper relates, mark X opposite the word YES on the paper.

3.If you DO NOT APPROVE of the proposal in the Bill to which the ballot paper relates, mark X opposite the word NO on the paper.

4.Copies of the Bills can be inspected free of charge, and purchased for two and a half pence each, at any Post Office.

Constituencies.

2.—(1) For the purpose of taking the poll at a referendum referred to in section 1 of this Act— (a) each county and each county borough in the State shall be deemed to be a constituency and the poll shall be taken separately in each such constituency, and (b) each voter at the poll shall record his vote in the constituency in which he would be entitled to vote at a general election of members of Dáil Éireann if each county and each county borough in the State were a constituency for such an election, and the Referendum Acts, 1942 to 1979, shall be construed as if each county and county borough in the State were a constituency and those Acts shall apply and have effect accordingly with any necessary modification.

(2)Without prejudice to the generality of subsection (1) of this section— (a) paragraphs (c) and (e) of section 11 of the Referendum Act, 1942 , shall not have effect in relation to a poll at a referendum referred to in the said section 1, and (b) the Referendum Act, 1942 , shall have effect in relation to a poll at a referendum referred to in the said section 1 as if “constituency” were substituted for “such constituency” in paragraphs (d) (inserted by the Electoral Act, 1963 ) and (f) of the said section 11.

Forms of ballot papers.

3.—The Electoral Act, 1963 , is hereby amended— (a) as respects a constitutional referendum in relation to the Sixth Amendment of the Constitution (Adoption) Bill, 1978, by the insertion at the beginning of the front of the form of ballot paper set out in Part I of the Fourth Schedule (inserted by the Electoral (Amendment) Act, 1972 ) of— “UCHTÁIL—ADOPTION”, and (b) as respects a constitutional referendum in relation to the Seventh Amendment of the Constitution (Election of Members of Seanad Éireann by Institutions of Higher Education) Bill, 1979, by the insertion at the beginning of the front of the said form of ballot paper of— “IONADAÍOCHT SEANAID—SEANAD REPRESENTATION”.

Short title, collective citation and construction.

4.—(1) This Act may be cited as the Referendum (Amendment) Act, 1979.

(2)The Referendum Acts, 1942 to 1973, and this Act may be cited together as the Referendum Acts, 1942 to 1979.

(3)This Act shall be construed as one with the Referendum Acts, 1942 to 1973.

Acts Referred to Electoral Act, 1963 1963, No. 19 Electoral (Amendment) Act, 1972 1972, No. 4 Referendum Act, 1942 1942, No. 8 Referendum Acts, 1942 to 1973 Privacy Statement Accessibility European Legislation Identifier (PDF) Open Data License Ráiteas Príobháideachais Inrochtaineacht Aitheantóir Eorpach Reachtaíochta (ELI) Ceadúnas Sonraí Oscailte Liosta Fianán © Government of Ireland. Oireachtas Copyright Material is reproduced with the permission of the Houses of the Oireachtas © Rialtas na hÉireann. Atáirgtear ábhar faoi Chóipcheart le cead ó Thithe an Oireachtais

AI explanation based on the official legal text. Indicative, not a substitute for legal advice.