Charles Flanagan (Laois-Offaly, Fine Gael)

Can I take the Taoiseach back to the matter of the referendum on children's rights? I put it to him that what has happened over the past couple of years in this House is a prime example of a serious and fundamental flaw in our parliamentary system. We have a situation where consensus was reached on an all-party basis over a period of two years. That all-party consensus was reported from this House to Government, which now, only when questioned, offers excuses such as unintended and unforeseen consequences. I ask the Taoiseach to confirm that these consequences are, in fact, discussions across three Departments, the Departments of Health and Children, Education and Skills, and Justice and Law Reform, on issues that I accept are complex.

It appears that we have now entered the politics of drift. The Government received the report on 18 February. There has been nothing in terms of any proposal from Government since that day other than unintended consequences. In that regard, I ask the Taoiseach to inform the House as to who in Government is co-ordinating the various discussions between the Departments of Justice and Law Reform, Health and Children and Education and Skills, and when it is expected that these discussions will be completed? It seems that there is not a timeframe, there are no time lines, and we are merely drifting along.

The Taoiseach's Government colleague, the Minister, Deputy Gormley, speaks of consensus. This is the prime example of consensus that this House has seen in the course of this Dáil and it is treated in a manner that is less than acceptable. I ask the Taoiseach to outline to the House the process, who is co-ordinating and when it is expected that the co-ordinator will report to Cabinet. I ask him to then confirm the necessity to reconvene the committee on the basis that the wording that will ultimately be published by Government will differ substantially from that which has been agreed by the all-party committee.

Having regard to the fact that the Taoiseach reluctantly admitted that it is the Government's intention to hold the referendum next year, is it not timely that a publicly information campaign commence now on the matter of the rights of children and of a proposed constitutional change in advance of a referendum campaign?

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