[2] Article 47 of the Constitution had provided for reference of Bills to referendum following a petition of one-twentieth of the electorate.
Article 48 allowed the Oireachtas to provide for proposals for legislation or constitutional amendment to be commenced by petition.
The Act was a response to attempts by the Fianna Fáil opposition to use the direct democracy provisions to amend or repeal measures put in place under the terms of the Anglo-Irish Treaty.
16) Act 1929 from eight to sixteen years meant that no referendums were held under the terms of the Constitution of the Irish Free State.
The only referendum held was in the Irish Free State the plebiscite approving the adoption of the Constitution of Ireland on 1 July 1937.