Dan Neville (Limerick West, Fine Gael)

I will not mention the jobs involved, as that might be unfair to those who have come here to do excellent work, for which they get good recompense. Thank God, we now have the minimum wage for such workers. Some people have a view that immigrants can be exploited. In my experience of talking to employers they ensure that they are not exploited. They rightly make themselves aware of their rights in the employment milieu to ensure they get their rights. The idea that they are open to exploitation understates the understanding those who come here with visas have concerning their rights. We should continue to emphasise the need to inform those who come here from areas where they might have been earning 25% or less of what they earn here of their rights under Irish law. In my experience employers are delighted to pay them because of the value they get from many of those who come to Ireland to work.

Earlier I listened to the Chairman of the Oireachtas All-Party Committee on the Constitution, of which I am a member. I disagree with his suggestion that this issue could not be dealt with by that committee within a reasonable time. It is a sufficiently narrow issue to allow it be addressed in a short time. As it is also complex it should be addressed by the committee. The sixth report of the All-Party Committee on the Constitution, under the chairmanship of the Minister of State, Deputy Brian Lenihan, recommended that any changes in the Constitution should be carefully considered by that committee.

Why has this issue not been submitted to the committee for consideration? One can only conclude that the Government wants this as a diversionary tactic during the election campaign to move the debate away from the issues of concern over the health service, housing and general local government issues. The committee would have concluded its work in a reasonable period of time and reported. If the All-Party Committee on the Constitution had the opportunity to examine the constitutional amendment at the time of the Good Friday Agreement, would we be now facing an amendment to tidy up what the Government states is a difficulty that has arisen due to the amendment to Article 2 of the Constitution following that Agreement?

The Oireachtas All-Party Committee on the Constitution has just completed its report on property rights. The committee quickly came to a conclusion that a change to the Constitution was unnecessary to control the price of property. The reason the committee took so long to report related to planning and other issues that were not of a constitutional nature. The committee could have come to a conclusion on the basic constitutional issue in a period of a few months. The issue of changing the Constitution to deal with citizenship of foreign nationals coming to this country could also be dealt with quickly — certainly by September given that summer intervenes.

Coming up to last summer, for example, we met for two weeks to consult people on work the committee had in hand. I do not accept that the committee did not have the time or space to deal with this.

The All-Party Committee on the Constitution should be allowed the space to fully examine this issue. I am convinced it could produce a report on the matter in a short period. I cannot speculate on the outcome of such a report but I am sure it could be produced quickly and that after detailed examination of the case and obtaining expert advice from many sides on the issue, including emigrants, it would provide more informed recommendations than those we have currently. This would be preferable to the current proposal for a referendum by 11 June without reference to anybody, not the Opposition with which the Government said it would consult fully nor the SDLP which has expressed concern. Fianna Fáil has also dismissed the DUP's concern as totally irrelevant — I presume Deputy Killeen was advised by the party with regard to what he said. Within the All-Party Committee on the Constitution all parties would have an opportunity to fully examine all aspects of the issue and this could be done in a short period of time.

I implore the Minister to remove the racist element from the June elections and to allow the All-Party Committee on the Constitution to fully examine all aspects of the proposal.

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