Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

"Morning Ireland" facilitated me at the eleventh hour, and Mr. Bruce Arnold also took part in the programme. Despite what the Taoiseach said earlier, I was glad to participate. Perhaps he was distracted by other issues when he made a comment he should not have made. I would have been glad to have participated in more debates if I had gotten the opportunity. However, it was a very emphatic win.

Most people, however, could not understand why the reduction in the age of eligibility to become President was prioritised over other issues. We have just discussed the Charlie Hebdo murders in Paris. What about blasphemy being taken out of the Constitution? What about reducing the voting age from 18 to 16 or 17?

I have gone through the convention's report. The Government promised a lot - for example, that it would respond to every decision within four months. There is a long list, including the reduction of the Presidential term of office to five years, which the Government has committed to referring to the relevant Oireachtas committee for further consideration. Apparently, the Government committed to holding a referendum on reducing the voting age to 17, which did not take place. We could have had it instead of the Presidential age referendum. Most people on the doorsteps thought the one that was put to them was nonsensical. Although I supported it, the bottom line is that people thought there was more serious stuff.

The convention's report recommended an amendment to the clause on the role of women, and apparently a task force was established and was meant to have reported by 31 October 2014. The task force on increasing the participation of women in politics was also to report by 31 October. The Government's response to the proposed review of the Dáil electoral system was expected in spring 2014, as was its response to the recommendation on giving the right to vote in Presidential elections to citizens outside the State. As regards the removal of the offence of blasphemy from the Constitution, the Government's response was also expected in spring 2014. It was expected to respond to the recommendations on Dáil reform in 2014. Its response to the proposals on economic, social and cultural rights was expected in summer 2014.

We have not had any substantive responses from the Government on a host of issues considered by the convention, including the Office of the Ceann Comhairle, Dáil committees, various articles of the Constitution and political reform. It seems that, although the Government set up the convention, it ran out of enthusiasm fairly quickly afterwards and has not given the necessary substantive responses to the issues raised. The Government's prioritisation of issues was strange, particularly on the age questions and on blasphemy, which could have been put to the people.

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