Mary Lou McDonald (Dublin Central, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

The Taoiseach confirmed yesterday that only two of the recommendations of the Constitutional Convention will be put by way of referendum during the lifetime of the Government. The Tánaiste will recall that the Dáil resolution to establish the convention committed the Government to respond to each of the recommendations within four months of publication and to schedule separate Dáil debates, yet the Government has failed to meet the deadline in regard to four convention reports on which we still do not even know the Government position. The deadline on extending the vote to citizens resident outside the State passed on 26 March 2014. The deadline on the three final reports of the convention passed almost six months ago. When will the overdue Dáil debates on the right to vote and on Dáil reform on economic, social and cultural rights take place, and when will the establishment a second convention be scheduled? When will the Government make the position on the recommendations known? By the way, that is not the same as asking when referenda might be held, as the Taoiseach has already told us that nothing more will be done by this Administration in that regard.

My second question relates to the Tribunals of Inquiry Bill 2005. The Bill completed Committee Stage in April 2009, nearly six years ago, and it has still not reached Report Stage. My colleague, Deputy Doherty, asked the Taoiseach about the matter in October 2014 but the Taoiseach knew nothing about it. I hope the Tánaiste will be more helpful. It is interesting legislation which also introduces some of the recommendations of the Moriarty tribunal. Could the Tánaiste explain the whereabouts of the Bill and the reason for such a lengthy passage of time without a conclusion to the Bill?

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