Jonathan O'Brien (Cork North Central, Sinn Fein)
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80. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality her plans to hold a referendum to repeal the constitutional provision concerning blasphemy. [23559/17]

Frances Fitzgerald (Dublin Mid West, Fine Gael)
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As the Deputy will be aware, the Government agreed in September 2014 to hold a referendum on removing the offence of blasphemy from the Constitution (Art 40.6.1(i)), in response to the 6th Report of the Convention on the Constitution.

The Programme for a Partnership Government also proposes that a number of referenda be held, including a referendum on the question of removing the offence of blasphemy from the Constitution.

Preliminary consultations and preparatory work have been undertaken. Further work will be necessary to prepare a Referendum Bill and a Bill to amend the current legislative provision for the offence of blasphemy contained in the Defamation Act 2009, dependent on the priority and time frame to be decided by Government.

A decision on the scheduling of the blasphemy referendum will be made by Government in the light of its Legislative Programme, subject to completing the necessary further consultations and preparing the necessary Referendum Bill and the accompanying amending legislation regarding the statutory offence of blasphemy.