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

We, as a Government, are committed to a referendum on housing. The Housing Commission is considering the matter. It has not yet advised us on a wording. Once we see it, we will consider it. Without any wording proposed from the commission, having a referendum concurrent with the other one in November is very unlikely at this stage. We will see the wording when it comes.

Any amendment on housing worth having has to be one that makes it easier to build homes. There is no point in putting language in the Constitution that gives people a legal right to housing if it does not help housing to be built. I do not want to see a court ruling against the State and giving people compensation for not providing them housing while the court next door strikes down planning permissions. That would be incongruous to me. Some aspect of any housing amendment has to make it easier to build homes. We have to consider that as part of the deliberations. Otherwise, it will be meaningless. There is no point in having a right that cannot be vindicated. Any housing amendment worth having should tip the balance in favour of more homes being built, not against it. That would be crucial from my point of view in supporting any wording.

We have no plans for a referendum on neutrality. I doubt we could even agree on a definition of "neutrality". It was a Government decision to declare a policy of neutrality in the 1940s or 1930s. It was never put to the people.

Work is ongoing on presidential voting rights. Reports are done. It is a huge job because it means compiling an international electoral register. Huge numbers of people in the North and around the world would be able to qualify to vote. It is something I support and of which I was very much in favour during my first term as Taoiseach. We do not have a time for it yet but making it happen would be a huge job. Essentially, an international electoral register for Irish citizens and passport holders abroad would be required. Logistically, it would be a huge operation. Now that the Electoral Commission is in existence, it is something it could do but perhaps the time to have it – and this is just a personal view – is at the time of the next presidential election. I do not think we would be able to get it all done in time for the next presidential election so perhaps that would be the right occasion to have a referendum on extending voting rights concurrent with the next election when it comes.

On the interdepartmental group on the gender equality referendum, we hope to have a final proposed wording before the summer recess. The proposals of the all-party committee are under active consideration and we hope to consult with Opposition parties and NGOs in the next couple of weeks to keep everyone informed and in the loop about where the current deliberations are and where they are going.

On the European Parliament elections, I do not know if the Government has taken a formal position on this yet; at least it has not gone to Cabinet. We would generally prefer a May date over a June date but have a slight complicating factor on this occasion as we may gain seats in the European Parliament. We may gain one or two; it has not been decided yet. If we gain one or two, the Electoral Commission will have to do a boundary review and redraw the boundaries for the European Parliament. With an extra seat or two, it could add a seat to an existing constituency and change the boundaries or we could go back to four constituencies roughly modelled on the provinces, like we had before. That might create a complication for us but we will hold the local and European elections concurrent. It would not make sense to have people go to the polls twice within a few weeks.

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