Frances Fitzgerald (Fine Gael)

It has been repeatedly pointed out in this Chamber that the Seanad must discuss the difficult decisions that will be made. In that regard and in the light of recent publicity concerning third level registration fees, has the Government taken a decision on the matter? Will the Deputy Leader inform the House what is the Green Party's position on the issue of registration fees?

The issue of a referendum on children's rights has been raised again. I was astonished last week to hear the Minister of State with responsibility for children, Deputy Barry Andrews, state that if the referendum had been passed and the constitutional amendment made, it would not have been relevant to the case discussed last week. I fundamentally disagree with his view. It is impossible to state retrospectively whether passing a referendum and enshrining children's rights in the Constitution would have affected practice. The Minister of State's comments on the issue were unacceptable. Is the Government serious about holding a referendum on children's rights?

With the key decisions due to be taken in the next few weeks, the possibility of bringing forward the budget has been mooted. The vacuum that has been created regarding the budget has left people concerned, fearful, upset and unsure of how to plan their household budgets. Has the Government considered bringing forward the date of the budget to deal with the grave uncertainty affecting individuals and families?