Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

As Deputy McDonald knows, this is a three-stage process to which we, as a Government, committed quite some time ago. The Citizens' Assembly carried out comprehensive work and this led to the establishment of a committee which has been ably led and chaired by Senator Catherine Noone, who has done an extraordinary job on a very difficult issue. The committee voted yesterday on the key issues but it will not publish its report until next Wednesday. People should wait to read the report in full before making judgments. Certainly, I will wait until I have had an opportunity to read the report in full. The Taoiseach has given a commitment - as has the Government generally - to the effect that we want to hold a referendum on this issue as early as May 2018. However, there will first be a need for the report to be debated fully in the House. My understanding is that the debate will take place in January. The report will then need to go to the Government for consideration as to how we proceed on foot of that debate.

The Minister for Health, Deputy Harris, has made it very clear that he needs to work with the Attorney General to put together the heads of a Bill. That is detailed work which needs to be done to create a context and environment for a referendum. There will also, of course, be a need for legislation to facilitate the referendum itself. My understanding is that the Minister for Health would like to have a lot of that work done by the middle of March. There is a great deal of work to do next year. My appeal to Members is that it is up to the House to give a lead to the rest of the country as to how this issue should be debated and how we should respect different perspectives and opinions which are honestly held so that we create the right atmosphere in which the country can make a decision, as opposed to some of the experiences we have had in the past in the context of this issue.

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