Mary Lou McDonald
Question:683. Deputy Mary Lou McDonald asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government his plans in respect of holding constitutional referenda over the next 12 months. [42204/18]
View answerTuesday, 23 October 2018
Questions (683)
Written answers
The Government announced on 26 September 2017 that it had agreed an indicative timetable for the holding of a number of referendums on proposals for amendments to the Constitution arising from the work of the Citizens’ Assembly and the Convention on the Constitution.
In this context, my Department will be responsible for bringing forward appropriate Constitution Amendment Bills on reducing the voting age to 16 and on extending the franchise at Presidential elections to Irish citizens resident outside the State. These referendums will address two of the recommendations of the Convention on the Constitution. Work is being progressed in my Department to inform the development of the appropriate Constitution Amendment Bills.
Subject to the passage of the Constitution Amendment Bills by the Houses of the Oireachtas, it is proposed that these referendums will be held on the same day as the local and European elections which will take place in late May 2019.