Damien English (Meath West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

Regarding the selection process, the same process was used for the Constitutional Convention, and everyone was happy with how the convention worked - the same criteria, the same logic used by the polling company and the same register. That is all that I am saying. It worked well. I hope that it works well and speedily in this instance. That is the intention. No matter what process we picked, though, Deputy Coppinger would probably not have been happy with it and would have found some hole in it. I can only refer to the convention, which worked. This is a similar process and I hope that it will deliver consultation and achieve what people want, namely, a referendum, among other things.

Deputy O'Callaghan raised concerns about advice, help and expertise. Expertise, facilitators and mediation were available to the convention. The citizens' assembly will be independent of the Government. Likewise, issues of protection and so forth will be for the assembly and its chairperson to decide. Funding will be made available. The Government will not lecture the assembly on what it should do. Independence is the whole idea behind the citizens' assembly, but everything it requires will be provided. As with the convention, that is up to the assembly to decide.

The Bill is concerned with how to facilitate the motion passed by the House today. It will allow 99 people to be picked. It is late at night, but this is not a complicated Bill. The use of the register is protected in law, but the Bill facilitates its use for this one matter. The data will not be shared. The polling company will not sample 100 people for their opinions. It will use samples and polling methods to find 100 people. Deputy Coppinger is confident that a poll of the people will give the result that she wants to achieve, but that is not what this Bill is about. Rather, that question will be decided if there is a referendum. She would get her vote then. This Bill is about finding 100 people from a sample of those who can vote in a referendum.

I thank Deputies for their time and effort. I am conscious that it is late at night. I thank Deputies for their contributions. This is a process to engage citizens and was set out in a commitment in the programme for a partnership Government. It addresses four or five issues, but more may be added if the process works speedily. If the process works, we can hold a debate in 12 months' time on which is better - the citizens' assembly, the Constitutional Convention or some other version - but this is concerned with trying to effect discussion and change in a non-political environment. Deputies are chatting here everyday of the week, but others must be consulted.

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