Lucinda Creighton (Dublin South East, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Question 130: To ask the Minister for Health and Children if she has decided on a date for holding the referendum on amending the Constitution to ensure protection of children; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [2472/08]

Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context

As the Deputy is aware, the Twenty-Eighth Amendment of the Constitution Bill, 2007, was published in February 2007 and contained the Government's proposal to amend the Constitution in relation to children. The Programme for Government of June 2007 committed to deepening consensus on the issue and to this end, the Joint Committee on the Constitutional Amendment on Children [JCCAC] was established in November, 2007, to report back within four months, on the proposals set out in the Bill.

The Government awaits the outcome of the deliberations of the Joint Committee on the Constitutional Amendment on Children so that an amendment to the Constitution in relation to children, based on all-party consensus, can be put to the people as soon as possible.

However, it is increasingly unlikely that the Committee will be in a position to conclude its deliberations within this timescale, and accordingly, it is now probable that a Referendum on Children will not take place until 2009.