Maria Bailey (Dún Laoghaire, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

Everybody received a letter from the Minister today. I am aware that Deputy Collins had meetings with the Minister on this matter and has an open line of communication with his officials in this regard. There are complexities around the wording. The Minister indicated in his letter that discussions and contact are ongoing between the Department and the Office of the Attorney General and that this active engagement has been considering different approaches to the wording of the constitutional amendment. Within the past week, the Minister has received written advice on the matter from the Attorney General. His officials are urgently reviewing this advice and he hopes to be in a position to bring a recommendation to Government on a wording capable of being prepared as an amendment to the Bill. The Minister's aim is to have clarity on the intended approach when the Dáil resumes after the summer recess in September. If that is the case, we will put it on the work programme. As I said, I understand the Deputy has had ongoing communication with the Minister and the Department since the most recent meeting on this issue.