Ruth Coppinger (Dublin West, Solidarity) | Oireachtas source

My question is on promised legislation on repeal and a referendum on the issue of the eighth amendment.

I know the Government is getting legal advice and I want to remind it that the committee I took part in, which weighed up evidence not just over weeks but months, had its own legal adviser who outlined six options for dealing with the issue. There was no support at the committee for an enabling clause, which is one of the options the Government seems to be discussing with the Attorney General. The reason I raise this is because there is no legal certainty with any referendum but the Government could cause more uncertainty by attempting to find a wording that would basically say the Dáil has power to do this. If it seems to be giving special powers to the Oireachtas regarding this particular matter or legislation, I believe there is a danger politically of a referendum getting into great uncertainty and potentially being lost if the Government tries to find a wording for what is a minority viewpoint in the legal profession.

See this speech in context