Pauline Tully (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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601. To ask the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if the proposed referendum on Article 40.1 of the Constitution will specifically include a reference to disabled people, as per commitments under the UNCRPD; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33572/23]

Pauline Tully (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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602. To ask the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if the proposed referendum on Article 41.2 of the Constitution will remove references to the term 'care' given the extremely problematic nature of the term for disabled people; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33573/23]

Roderic O'Gorman (Dublin West, Green Party)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 601 and 602 together.

On 8 March 2023, the Taoiseach and I announced that a referendum will be held to amend the Constitution as recommended by the Citizens’ Assembly on Gender Equality and the Special Joint Oireachtas Committee on Gender Equality.

An Inter-Departmental Committee (IDC), involving all Government Departments and chaired by the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth, was then established to further examine and advance these recommendations. The IDC is continuing to work on policy proposals, which will be brought forward for consideration and decision by Government shortly. We will be in a position to update further at that stage.