Gerry Adams (Louth, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I commend all of those participating at the Citizens' Assembly. I welcome Ms Justice Laffoy's statement that the assembly's work will be open and transparent. The Taoiseach will recall that, when the Constitutional Convention was being put in place, Sinn Féin made a full proposition to the Government that would have reshaped our Constitution for a future Ireland and re-imagined the Ireland of tomorrow. Of course, the Government did not go with it. However, the Constitutional Convention worked. The Government still has to act on some of its recommendations. The Citizens' Assembly is a less effective structure. The Government has insisted on that structure. There is no political representation and there are no voices from the North. There has been no explanation for the latter failure. It is wrong that we should be partitionist in our approach to these issues. I have raised this matter with the Taoiseach previously. It is a serious mistake.

There is speculation that the discussion on the eighth amendment could take six months before the matter is returned to an Oireachtas committee and that the report of the assembly might not be with the Oireachtas until next June. If so, a final decision by the Dáil on whether there will be a referendum on repealing the eighth amendment could be a year away. I firmly believe that the Government's approach is one of delaying a referendum and the type of legislation that would be required. Let me be clear in that Sinn Féin will campaign for the repeal of the eighth amendment and for legislation to be enacted in order to allow for terminations in cases of fatal foetal abnormalities, rape and incest. That is what we were sent here, paid and mandated to do. Will the Taoiseach provide greater clarity on the timeframe for the assembly's report on the eighth amendment coming to the Oireachtas?

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