Mary Lou McDonald (Dublin Central, Sinn Fein)

Feicim nach bhfuil reifreann ar chearta an linbh fiú luaite sa mhéid atá curtha i gcló ag an Rialtas. Cén fáth nach bhfuil? Cén uair atá sé i gceist ag an Rialtas Bille maidir leis an Seanad a thabhairt os comhair an Tí?

The legislative programme does not make reference to a Bill to facilitate a referendum on children's rights or legislation for the reform or, as the Government would have it, abolition of the Seanad. These are two extraordinary omissions. Not only is this legislation missing from the A list, it does not feature anywhere in the legislative programme. Despite the Labour Party and Fine Gael, including the Minister for Children, Deputy Frances Fitzgerald, backing the wording for a referendum on children's rights, as initially envisaged by the relevant Oireachtas committee, the Government appears to have rowed back from its position. It has indicated it will consider all proposals regarding the wording of the referendum, including the watered-down version produced by the previous Administration. Will the Tánaiste explain the reason two Bills on referendums do not feature in the legislative programme? I hope he will be able to assure the House that this is an omission and that the relevant Bills will be included in the programme. Will he make a statement on the envisaged wording for the referendum on the rights of children? I hope the Minister for Children will return to this matter sooner rather than later.

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