Eamon Gilmore (Dún Laoghaire, Labour)

That clears it up. It is quite clear that the Government has not yet discussed the matter and the Attorney General has not yet been even asked for his opinion on it. That tells us plenty about where the Government is at on the holding of this referendum.

There were commitments in the programme for Government about possible constitutional changes. There was a commitment in the programme for Government to establish an independent electoral commission. That has not been established. Can the Taoiseach give us some indication as to when it might be established?

One of the matters that such an electoral commission was to consider was the feasibility of extending the franchise for presidential elections to the Irish abroad. Given that there is to be a presidential election next year, if we were to extend the franchise to the Irish abroad for that election the matter would have to be progressed soon. When will the electoral commission be established? What is the current state of play on the idea of extending the franchise for presidential elections to the Irish abroad?

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