Catherine Noone (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I suggest we go straight into public session because nothing can be lost in translation, and we will continue in public session unless the necessity arises to go into private session for any particular reason. The draft minutes of the meetings of 22 and 23 November have been circulated. Are they agreed? Agreed. Are there any matters arising? No.

We have received six items of correspondence, all of which are noted. As the correspondence from Both Lives Matter only arrived this morning, we will come back to it next week as it contains the methodology used to back up its claim of lives saved by the unavailability of abortion in the North of Ireland. The follow-up from Leah Hoctor about the calculation of gestation limits can be considered in the context of our report. The other items of correspondence are listed.

Today we will conclude module 2 and we will finish our public meetings on module 3 tomorrow evening. We must now start to complete the decision-making process that will allow us to report to the Oireachtas by 20 December, which is the three-month deadline imposed on us by the Houses of the Oireachtas. I suggest, therefore, that we commence the process next week as to when we can make decisions on modules 1 and 2, and the following week, on Wednesday, 13 December, we will consider the draft report which arises from the decisions made by the committee. I think it unavoidable and necessary that we start the process next week, and early in the week if we have to, as otherwise we will be under pressure to meet the deadline and nobody wants that coming up to Christmas. I have asked the secretariat to prepare a roadmap for modules 1 and 2. The one for module 1 was circulated some weeks ago.

We can circulate that today and then discuss it at the commencement of our public business tomorrow. I just wanted to give people a bit of notice of that in advance.

The clerk will have a briefing note highlighting the main issues we discussed with our experts in respect of each of the 13 reasons recommended by the Citizens' Assembly. That note should assist members and it should be circulated by Friday lunchtime. We will park that issue for now if that is okay. Senator Buttimer has indicated.