Taoiseach Bertie Ahern has said he is not in favour of holding the proposed referendum on child protection on the same day as the General Election.
In response to a question by Labour leader Pat Rabbitte in the Dail today, Mr Ahern said he feared that if the referendum was held alongside the General Election it would not get the "attention it deserved".
The Cabinet is currently finalising the wording of the referendum which is aimed at strengthening children's rights and providing greater protection against child sexual abuse.
But Opposition parties have voiced concern over what they say is the limited timeframe available to debate any proposed changes to the Constitution. This may delay a referendum until after the General Election which is expected to take place in May.
Mr Ahern, who supports the idea of a pre-election referendum, said he hoped the referendum would take place in late March or early April if agreement between parties was reached.