Pádraig Mac Lochlainn (Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

Do it.The Minister should not say he does not think we can do this by 2019. He should gather his departmental officials around him and say that we need to sort this out for the reasons he outlined at the start of today's debate. This is a priority. This was agreed by the Constitutional Convention. It is the desire of the people. I have no doubt the overwhelming majority of Irish people across the State want it.

I accept there are issues that need to be sorted out. Senator McDowell in his expert analysis outlined some of them and the Minister has outlined others. I accept what they say, but there is no reason to vote against the motion. If that happens and we get an amended motion would the Minister please go to his officials and say that while he appreciates they have a lot on their plate with water and housing that this should be as important a priority? That is the case in terms of the real connectivity, value and signal it will send to Irish people throughout the world.