Paschal Donohoe (Dublin Central, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank Deputy McGrath for raising this matter.

I wish to begin by saying that the text that will be circulated to him deals with the general issue of consultation on Government-sponsored forums. The Deputy raised a specific matter, namely the Constitutional assembly and its role in the consideration of matters such as the status of the Eighth amendment of the Constitution. As opposed to giving the Deputy a text that does not address his question, I will do my best to answer his points. I, on behalf of the Government, will then come back to him imminently with an answer to the issues he has raised.

I wish to first acknowledge that Deputy McGrath recognised the impartiality and expertise of the chairperson of the assembly, Ms Justice Laffoy. He was at pains to recognise her ability and impartiality to do good work on behalf of the State.

The Deputy raised two issues. The first is his concern about the expert advisers that are open to the body and the second is the selection criteria that led to the appointment of the assembly. On the latter, it is my understanding that the Department of the Taoiseach, which oversees the body, used selection criteria that came up with a group of people who are representative of the country overall. The reason why that may have led to some counties being excluded is that, as I understand it, the role of members of the assembly is not to represent the views of their communities or counties. Rather, it is to represent their own views. The selection criteria, as I understand it, that was carried out by Red C tried to come up with a group of people whose body of opinion would reflect where Ireland is at the moment rather than a group of people who represented the geographical distribution of population across our country.

However, I will double-check the point and revert to the Deputy with an answer from the Department of the Taoiseach on the matter.

On the composition of the group of expert advisers available to the assembly, a difficulty that Ms Justice Laffoy and the organisers of the assembly may well face is that the number of people in the country who have expertise in the area is, I imagine, limited. If these people have built up expertise in the area, at some point in their professional careers they will either have been involved in the issue or had an opinion on it. Given the scale of the country, it would be difficult to establish a group of advisers who have been involved in what is a very important matter but have never expressed an opinion on it. However, I am confident that those who are being employed by the State to advise the assembly will be able to give impartial views on the matter.

Ultimately this is an assembly which will in no way challenge the democratic workings of this House. The assembly will produce a report that will be brought before the Oireachtas to be considered by it and which may then lead to a vote by the people. Even if the Deputy's worst fears were to materialise, although I do not believe that they will, this is only one part of an entire process which, at each stage, will involve either the Oireachtas or the direct expression of the views of the people.

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