Séamus Healy (Tipperary South, Independent)

It took a PD Minister to come up with this type of proposal to attempt to salvage the disgraceful record of Fianna Fáil and the PDs in this Government.

There is normally widespread consultation and general discussion when it is proposed to hold a referendum, but that has not happened in this case. The Minister's decision to put this proposal to the people was taken within the space of four weeks. Such a proposal would normally be sent to the All-Party Committee on the Constitution, but that was not done. A referendum is usually held following requests from various agencies which might raise a significant matter that needs to be discussed widely and effectively, but nothing like that has happened. There has not been any discussion or consultation and the all-party committee has not produced a report on the matter. The failure to take such measures indicates to me, as I have said already, that the proposed referendum is a smokescreen to be used during the local and European election campaigns.

The masters of the maternity hospitals have been blamed, in effect, for the decision to pursue this referendum. We had to rely until yesterday on what was described as anecdotal evidence and information. Some statistics were trotted out yesterday, but they made the matter more unclear than anything else. We know that the number of babies born to those who are being called "citizenship tourists" is minimal. On a radio programme this morning, one of the masters of the maternity hospitals told us that of the number of mothers presenting within three weeks of due date in the hospitals in Dublin, 49% of them were Irish.

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