Eamon Gilmore (Dún Laoghaire, Labour)

It is important that the House and members of the public are kept informed by the Minister for Health and Children of up-to-date information on the spread of the swine flu, as it is known. There is considerable public worry about this issue. People get information about developments on matters of this nature through the media and on international websites, blogs and so on. It is very important, therefore, that the fullest information is made available to members of the public. Will the Taoiseach indicate whether the Minister for Health and Children will take an opportunity to make a statement in the House and take questions on the issue?

I note that No. 12 on the legislative programme, the twenty-eighth amendment of the Constitution Bill, which is to enable the State to ratify the Lisbon treaty, is to be published in this session. As I understand the position, it was the Government's intention to bring to finality at the June summit discussions with our European partners on the various declarations and issues which have arisen from the previous referendum, with a view to having a referendum some time in the autumn. Is it intended that this Bill, the purpose of which is to enable a referendum to take place, will be published before the House rises for the summer? Is that the reason it is on the list?

I thank the Taoiseach for writing to me arising from a question I raised last Wednesday concerning the transfer of questions relating to referenda and agreeing in that correspondence to take questions on referenda in future, as has been the practice in the past.

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