Roderic O'Gorman (Dublin West, Green Party) | Oireachtas source

First, the Deputy is correct that there is a need for an element of teasing it out. I am open to engaging either publicly or in private session, and I can make that commitment for officials in my Department. I cannot make a commitment for the Office of the Attorney General. It might be useful for the committee to write to that office and see if such a facility, in private session, would be open or available. I can certainly see its benefits. In terms of the strict written advice, there are very strong tenets regarding how legal advice from the Attorney General to the Government is treated. I do not know whether there can be an engagement, perhaps an off-camera engagement, on the meaning of words. From my perspective and the Department's perspective, we will be happy to engage with the committee in a more informal way on specific wording, particularly with the view of trying to get as wide political agreement as possible. That is important to ensure the success of a referendum campaign.