Eamon Gilmore (Dún Laoghaire, Labour)

The first question Deputy Kenny asked related to the referendum on children. Deputy Mary O'Rourke chaired the all-party committee which recommended that a referendum be held and did an excellent job as Chairman. She has the admiration and support of the entire House for the work she did. Yesterday, she said the Government should now deliver on that referendum. The committee has delivered its part of the equation. Will the Taoiseach be more specific as to when that referendum will be held and will he give an assurance that it will be held this year?

Yesterday, my colleague, Deputy Róisín Shortall, pursued the issue of the carbon levy with the Minister for Social and Family Affairs, Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív. This levy will come into effect on 1 May and will drive up the price of heating oil and fuel. The Government promised previously that measures would be introduced to protect low income families and households against the carbon levy and its impact. However, the Minister did not seem to know much about this yesterday when Deputy Shortall pursued the matter.

See this speech in context