Brendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour)

Last week, the Minister of State with responsibility for children circulated an alternative wording for a proposed children's referendum. It was alternative to the wording that was carefully crafted by an all-party committee and was proposed unanimously to the Government. In an effort to ascertain how this could be advanced, will the Taoiseach consider reconstituting on a temporary basis the all-party Joint Committee on the Constitutional Amendment on Children and referring the wording to it? If all-party agreement can be reached and if there are good legal reasons for the changes, the joint committee could debate them in public session, hear the views of interested parties and have an all-party commitment on the wording in advance of the general election.

See this speech in context