THE FUTURE OF voting on Saturday will hinge “to a great extent” on the turnout in next week’s Children’s Referendum, the Tánaiste Eamon Gilmore has said.

Speaking yesterday at the Labour Youth Annual Conference in Wexford, he said that “after long years of campaigning” students finally had their wish for a vote on a Saturday.

“I would say to the 160,000 students across the country that this is your chance to show that it makes a difference, by coming out to cast your vote,” Gilmore said. “This is the first major vote that has taken place on a Saturday and the prospect of Saturday votes taking place in the future will be determined to a great extent on how well it works on November 10.”

Gilmore said the decision to hold the upcoming referendum on a Saturday was made in order to make it “as easy as possible, for as many people as possible to vote” – particularly young people who may be working or studying away from home.

“I hope that in particular, they take this opportunity to exercise their vote on an issue which, as young people – perhaps with younger brothers and sisters – is extremely relevant,” he

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