Children rendered "stateless" by being born of non-national parents in Ireland will acquire Irish citizenship, the Tánaiste, Ms Harney, said today.
She said the State would automatically confer citizenship on Irish-born children who have no other such entitlement because of their parents' circumstances.
There would be no change in Ireland's commitment to human rights by the proposed constitutional change, she maintained.
"It is not part of international human rights obligations on States to make citizenship available by birth alone.
States are free to regulate citizenship," she said.
She said children born of non-national parents who have been resident for three out of four years prior to the child's birth would not be affected the proposed legislation accompanying the constitutional change. They will still be entitled to citizenship, she said.
The Tánaiste, Ms Harney
Addressing concern that provisions of the Belfast Agreement may run counter to the amendment, Ms Harney restated the Government's position that children born of British nationals or of residents of Northern Ireland would retain their citizenship entitlement.
She rejected claims that the referendum would encourage racism or suggestions that those who voted for the amendment were racist saying the purpose of the referendum was to protect the integrity of the Constitution.
She said the parliament, in line with most other countries, would have the right to decide immigration laws if the referendum was passed.
"Giving the power to legislate to elected representatives cannot possibly be racist," she said.
The amendment has been proposed by Minister for Justice, Mr McDowell, who caused controversy by saying the change was being proposed at the request of Masters of some the State's maternity hospitals.
They denied the claim but had through meetings and correspondence indicated that non-nationals presenting late at maternity hospitals were putting the service under considerable strain.
The Labour Party spokesperson on justice, Mr Joe Costello, said there are clear indicators that the amendment will defeated. He said opinion polls and a growing number of organisations are campaigning against the Government proposal.
He said the electorate is "a lot more sophisticated, intelligent and humane" than the Mr McDowell believes.
"They have seen through the threadbare arguments of the Minister and resent his bullying and hectoring approach which dismisses the very legitimate concerns that people have about this proposal in a sneering and contemptuous way," Mr Costello said.