Jim Walsh (Fianna Fail)

On Second Stage, I am entitled to deal with issues I consider pertinent and relevant to this debate. The State spends €340 million. Of the 600 civil servants dealing with immigration, some 420 are dealing with asylum seekers. Anybody who contends that the State is not acting responsibly in this respect is not being factual. The main bone of contention from all Opposition spokespersons I have heard, whether in this House or in the Dáil is that in their opinion this Bill should have been referred to the All-Party Committee on the Constitution. That committee has done tremendous work on complex issues that need to be teased out in order to ensure proper amendments to the Constitution. This particular issue, however, is probably one of the simplest referenda we have had in my time in politics. I have been canvassing on the doorsteps recently and some people have asked me about the referendum. When it is explained to them, they fully accept that it is a simple issue for them to address.