Bertie Ahern (Dublin Central, Fianna Fail)

We would have to have it through by that stage. The Portuguese Presidency hopes to finish negotiations by October but even if one allows slippage to Christmas, it would then have to go forward for ratification by everybody in 2008. I assume they will say we must have the ratification process finished by the end of 2008 if it is to be effective for the 2009 European elections.

The health issue was in the reform paper but I do not know if it requires legislation. The plan was to cut down all those organisations to a small number, as outlined in the original reform paper which was published in 2001.

We have not had any discussion on the children's referendum but we had made a commitment that it would take place within a year from the time we postponed it. If we were doing so, it would make sense to have both referenda together, otherwise one would be asking people to vote twice in 2008.

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