Brendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour)

As it distresses me to see the Deputy alarmed, I will try to calm him. There are two different sets of proposals. Whistleblowers' legislation does not require any constitutional amendment and is being advanced. As for the Taoiseach's reference to a referendum, it refers to a different proposal that sometimes is referred to as the undoing of the Howlin judgment, if I may be so bold as to refer to it. That was to allow citizens to impart information to Members of the Oireachtas without having themselves disclosed. It arose from legal proceedings subsequent to the Morris tribunal and the programme for Government includes an undertaking to seek to restore the rights of citizens to impart in a bona fide fashion information to Members of the Oireachtas without putting themselves in hazard. This legislation also will be advanced.

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