Michael Healy-Rae (Kerry South, Independent)
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484. To ask the Minister for Justice and Equality the position regarding setting a date to hold a referendum on equal access to civil marriage here; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [27245/14]

Frances Fitzgerald (Dublin Mid West, Fine Gael)
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In accordance with its commitment in the Programme for Government, Government referred the issue of same-sex marriage to the Convention on the Constitution for consideration. The Convention recommended that a constitutional referendum be held on the issue of equal access to marriage. Government has accepted the recommendation and decided to hold the necessary referendum in the first half of 2015. My Department is engaged in the early stages of developing the wording of the proposed constitutional amendment and the accompanying legislation including a General Scheme of an Implementation Bill that will be required if a referendum on opening marriage to same-sex couples is passed.