Eamon Gilmore (Dún Laoghaire, Labour)

The Government is delivering on its commitment to make changes to the Constitution. Two issues will go to referendum, one of which will be debated today. The intention is to hold them with the presidential election. It is intended to hold some other referenda next year. Work is progressing on them.

Some of the matters raised by the Deputy do not require a constitutional change. For example, we intend to address the protection of whistleblowers by way of legislation. As committed to in our programme, the Government intends to establish a constitutional convention to deal with a number of wider constitutional issues. We will progress the constitutional agenda that we set out in the programme for Government as quickly as possible. Evidence of this is the fact that we will hold two referenda on 27 October.

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