Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael)

I move amendment No. 1:

To delete all words after "That" and substitute the following:

"Dáil Éireann:

—in accordance with the recommendations of the All-Party Oireachtas Committee on the Constitution's report for clear and agreed procedures for the holding of referendums on constitutional amendments;

—considers that political parties, North and South, view the proposal for an amendment to Article 9 of the Constitution, as impacting on Article 2 and thereby the Good Friday Agreement and the process of its present review;

—believes there is a need for an All-Party Oireachtas committee to consider the Twenty-seventh Amendment of the Constitution Bill 2004, and specifically to evaluate the issues on the basis of the knowledge of experts and the presentations of the insights of groups outside the Houses and to report thereon to both Houses of the Oireachtas before 1 September 2004;

declines to give a Second Reading to the Bill.".

This motion has been tabled by myself, Deputies Rabbitte and Sargent and the spokesmen for Fine Gael, the Labour Party and the Green Party.

The Fine Gael Party acknowledges that Article 2 of the Constitution, inserted following the Good Friday Agreement, creates a potential for abuse of Irish citizenship. The Fine Gael Party shares the objective of closing off that potential abuse and is committed to working constructively with the Government and other parties to find the best resolution to that problem. The best vehicle for achieving the best solution lies in having the issue considered calmly and rationally by the All-Party Committee on the Constitution. However, if the behaviour of the Minister at the start of this debate is anything to go by, the next seven weeks will see a degeneration into classic Fianna Fáil diversionary tactics in the local and European elections.

Past rushed constitutional change has subsequently led to legal quagmire. I warn against future court challenges arising from this constitutional change that have not yet been foreseen. A willingness to engage constructively has not been matched by the Government. Instead of working collectively with the parties in this House and the Northern Assembly for a solution, the Government has created an adversarial and divisive climate.

See this speech in context