I'm sure all will agree that we hope that the people of Ireland will make the right decision. We might not all agree as to what that would be.

There might indeed be a fair case for restricting the vote on this kind of issue to women.

However I think it is right that in Ireland the people have the last word, as was also the case when a referendum in 2001 enabled them to outlaw any future reintroduction of the death penalty as contrary to the constitution, with the Twenty-first Amendment.