Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

In regard to the latter matter, the Government, at its meeting on 21 January, agreed the text of the proposed wording in English of the Thirty-fourth amendment. That text was subsequently translated into Gaeilge by the Rannóg an Aistriúchán, which is the translation service in the Oireachtas, and included in the Thirty-fourth Amendment of the Constitution (Marriage Equality) Bill 2015. Some questions have been raised publicly regarding the Irish version of the text. The Minister for Justice and Equality and the Attorney General examined that issue with the support of Rannóg an Aistriúchán and legal and linguistic experts. Their view is that the Irish version as produced is robust and encompasses a right to marry for both opposite-sex couples and same-sex couples.

The Government, however, does not wish the Irish wording, as opposed to the key question in the referendum, to be the focus of any debate in the referendum campaign and in the interests of ensuring absolute clarity as to the intended effect of the amendment, it decided to amend the Irish wording and replace it with a more literal translation of the English wording. An Rannóg an Aistriúchán has worked on a new wording. Its recommendation, which the Government accepted, is that the revised Irish wording should be: "Féadfaidh beirt, gan beann ar a ngnéas, conradh pósta a dhéanamh de réir dlí." This is a more literal translation of the English wording, which is: “Marriage may be contracted in accordance with law by two persons without distinction as to their sex.” The Minister will introduce the proposed wording as a Committee Stage amendment to the Thirty-fourth Amendment of the Constitution (Marriage Equality) Bill 2015 tomorrow. That amendment, if approved by the people, would be inserted into Article 41 of the Constitution as Article 41.4. No changes are proposed to the existing provisions of that article.

In response to the Deputy’s first question, I do not propose to do that.

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