Ms Rebecca Keatinge:

I will speak to the process involved in how we arrived at this wording. It came in the context of Mercy Law Resource Centre's discussion and examination of other jurisdictions, to which I referred. Home For Good came together and formed a legal subgroup. A specific objective was to examine what wording might work in an Irish context. We examined wording from other constitutions and put together a document featuring the wording from all 81 constitutions. We looked at the Irish legal framework. We brought in legal experts, including Professor Whyte and others, to examine different formulations.

Then we examined our constitutional framework, where it would be best positioned and the best wording. We examined the international guidance I referred to and then arrived at the formulation.

We are putting our formulation out for discussion and for engagement with the committee. We have legal experts engaged but we would be interested in hearing everybody's comments on the formulation so we can arrive at the right wording for this referendum. That is crucial.