Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

The decision made by Government during the week was to indicate that we are now making plans for a referendum on the eighth amendment in May or June of next year. I will decide, as I hope everyone in this House will, how I will vote when I actually see the question. I am not the kind of person who will give a "Yes" or "No" answer to a question I have not yet seen. Perhaps Deputy Coppinger has committed to vote "Yes" to a referendum the wording of which she has not yet seen but I would be disappointed if she has done so because I respect her intellect and I think she has probably not done so. We will all need to see the question before we decide whether we are going to vote "Yes" or "No" to it.

An all-party committee has been established and has held its first meetings. I think it will hold another meeting this week, maybe tomorrow, and I understand Deputy Coppinger is on the committee. I would like the committee to develop a consensus, to the extent that it is possible, around a wording that we can put to the people and the best way the Deputy can play a part in advancing the process is to play a constructive role on that committee, to be respectful to other views that she does not hold and not to shout at people but persuade the other people on the committee to put a question on which she would like the people to vote.

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