Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

On the Deputy's second point, in respect of which she quoted Professor Farrell, fundamentally it is the Oireachtas Members who are elected. It falls to the Oireachtas to make decisions. The Oireachtas committee worked on the eighth amendment, for example. It did not stick to the letter of what the citizens' assembly prescribed. Not every member of the committee voted for it. Some were against, some abstained and some voted in favour of changed or amended wording. It got through eventually and was passed. Some recommendations have been taken on board. Not all are. It has to be clear that very often what the citizens' assembly achieves is a very good articulation of the ideas and a teasing out of the issues, but it can never be the view that whatever the citizens' assembly recommends has to be, de facto, implemented by the Oireachtas.