Mary Lou McDonald (Dublin Central, Sinn Fein)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

135. To ask the Taoiseach his response to each of the recommendations of the Constitutional Convention concerning Dáil reform; and when the Dáil will debate these recommendations. [41654/14]

Mary Lou McDonald (Dublin Central, Sinn Fein)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

136. To ask the Taoiseach his response to each of the recommendations of the Constitutional Convention concerning the entrenchment of economic, social and cultural rights; and when the Dáil will debate these recommendations. [41655/14]

Mary Lou McDonald (Dublin Central, Sinn Fein)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

137. To ask the Taoiseach his response to each of the recommendations of the Constitutional Convention regarding the convening of a second Convention, and the scope of subject matter that such a future Convention should consider; and when the Dáil will debate these recommendations. [41656/14]

Richard Boyd Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, People Before Profit Alliance)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

139. To ask the Taoiseach in view of the Constitutional Convention's commitment to have social economic and cultural rights enshrined in the Constitution, if the Government is going to adopt this in terms of a referendum; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42226/14]

Richard Boyd Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, People Before Profit Alliance)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

140. To ask the Taoiseach if he will indicate the parts of the Constitutional Convention's recommendations the Government will adopt; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42227/14]

Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

I propose to take Questions Nos. 135 to 137, inclusive, 139 and 140 together.

The Convention produced nine reports in total, all of which have been laid before the Houses of the Oireachtas.

The Government has already responded in the Dáil in detail to the first, second, third and sixth reports on 18 July 2013, 10 October 2013, 17 December 2013 and 2 October 2014 respectively.

Briefly, in response to recommendations in the first three reports of the Convention on the Constitution, the Government has already announced that it will bring forward proposals in 2015 for referendums on same-sex marriage, reducing the voting age to 16 and reducing the age of candidacy for Presidential elections to 21.

Also, in response to those reports, the Government decided to refer to the relevant Oireachtas Committee the question of a constitutional amendment to give citizens a say in the nomination process for Presidential candidates, and this has been done. The Government also undertook to look at making Article 41.2 of the Constitution on the role of women gender-neutral, and at including other carers both in and beyond the home; it also undertook to look at amending the Constitution to include the principle of gender equality, as well as at the use of gender-inclusive language in the Constitution.

The Government also announced earlier this year that work would commence on the establishment of an Electoral Commission, a key recommendation in the fourth Report of the Convention. More recently, in response to the sixth Report of the Convention, the Government announced that it will bring forward proposals for a referendum on the removal from the Constitution of the offence of blasphemy. No date for that Referendum has been decided yet.

The Government expects to give its response on the remaining Reports of the Convention before the end of this Dáil session.