Referendum on the Sixth Amendment of the Constitution Bill 1978

Polling at the referendum took place on Thursday, 5 July 1979. A referendum on university representation in the Seanad took place on the same day. The following statement for the information of voters on the subject matter of the referendum was prescribed in the Referendum (Amendment) Act 1979: “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.”