asked the Taoiseach what recommendations, if any, made in the Report of the Committee on the Constitution, the Government propose to implement; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Constitution Committee Recommendations.
1.
The Informal Committee to which the Deputy refers was set up by agreement between the political Parties represented in Dáil Éireann, and consideration of the recommendations contained in the report would appear to be a matter for those Parties, in the first instance. I would not anticipate any consideration by the Government of the recommendations before the political Parties had made their views known.
Arising out of this, what can only be described as a buck-passing effort, is it not a fact that any proposal to amend the Constitution can be made only by way of a referendum? Is it not also a fact that the Government, with the exception of the referendum which has been announced, do not intend to introduce a referendum to deal with the other matters?
The only matter that has been decided by the Government is to introduce a constitutional amendment into the Oireachtas and, following that, to have a referendum upon the straight vote system and to have a tolerance so that the constituencies may be more easily handled by the Deputies and electors concerned.
But, in fact, with the exception of that referendum, the Government do not propose to introduce a referendum dealing with the matters in the Committee's report?
We have not decided to introduce any further referendum on matters at this time.
In other words, the simple answer is that the Committee's report is dead?
That may be the Deputy's opinion.
I am slightly concerned at the rather peremptory dismissal of Deputy Lemass's brainchild. I suppose he can now console himself by saying "Nunc dimittis."