Will the Taoiseach agree with me that it is regrettable that the legislation and subsequent referendum, having regard to the pro-life situation, should be transferred from the Minister of Health to the Minister for Justice?

This seems to be going back to a question that has been answered.

In his reply the Taoiseach has indicated that the Government made an order transferring responsibility for this legislation from Health to Justice. Surely we are entitled to an answer? Perhaps he would also give us some indication of his thinking in regard to this allocation because to most of us it would seem that the Pro-Life Amendment legislation would naturally and rightly belong to the Minister for Health.

This decision corresponds to a proposal by my predecessor, Deputy Haughey, in his memo to the Government on 24 September last which proposed that it should be drafted by the Department of Justice. This reversed his proposal of July last that the Minister for Health should have the Bill drafted. The Leader of the Opposition will recall that his proposal of 24 September was reversed by him on 1 November.

The Taoiseach will also agree that the final decision of my Government was that the matter should be handled by the Minister for Health.