Eamon Gilmore (Dún Laoghaire, Labour)

I submitted a standard question to the Taoiseach for oral reply on the constitutional referenda that the Government plans to hold for the remainder of 2009. It has been answered many times in the past, on 13 occasions since 2005. On this occasion it was transferred by the Taoiseach to the Minister for Health and Children and the Minister for Foreign Affairs. Why is the Taoiseach transferring to the Minister for Health and Children and the Minister for Foreign Affairs a general question on the holding of constitutional referenda, which has previously been answered by him and his predecessors?

I refer to a statement made by the Government Chief Whip on 3 February in the House in response to a Labour Party motion that sought to move the writ for the Dublin South by-election. In response to the motion, the Government Chief Whip, Deputy Carey, stated that the Government intended to run the by-election for Dublin South on the same day as the local and European Parliament elections. Is that still the Government's intention? If it is, when will the Government introduce the motion to the House to move the writ for the Dublin South by-election?

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