Dick Roche (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)

I thank the Deputy and I fully appreciate this is such a huge leap forward in the democracy of the Union that it would be nice to mark it in a special way. The Bill is not silent on the role of the Houses of the Oireachtas. They are specifically mentioned in sections 12, 13 and 14 and the Schedule to the Bill and they are also highlighted in the explanatory memorandum. More than enough words have been inserted in the Constitution and we have marred it of necessity to make amendments. This amendment will not help the Constitution in the context of its readability. The Attorney General's advice is that it could be legally risky to insert this provision and to single out the specific reference, albeit for the best of reasons, to the Houses of the Oireachtas. I regret I cannot accept the amendment and I am sure the Deputy will appreciate from our correspondence that I have given a great deal of consideration to this issue.

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