Charlie McConalogue (Donegal North East, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

It is relevant to the extent that, unfortunately, what we are seeing here is a Government conforming with a very narrow proposal for reform. This Government promised genuine political reform. This is a key point and a fair point to make. We should be seeing much wider proposals being put to the people, proposals which were discussed at the Constitutional Convention and which could have been brought forward alongside this Bill. The Government's record on this issue is therefore relevant. This is seen as a real disappointment by a public with an appetite for genuine reform.

My party supports the Bill. We supported this proposal at the Constitutional Convention, but as part of a much wider and genuine change and reform of the Constitution. We are disappointed to see that this is the measure the Government is putting forward as it is such a small measure.

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