Constitutional Convention recommendations
Gerry Adams asks about the Government’s timetable for acting on Constitutional Convention recommendations, including overseas voting and electoral reform; the Taoiseach acknowledges a missed deadline and promises progress.
I asked about voting rights for Irish citizens living overseas when I raised the programme for Government commitment on the Constitutional Convention with the Taoiseach yesterday. The Taoiseach told me that the deadline for dealing with the recommendations of the convention was six months. My understanding is that it is four months and the convention's fourth report on Dáil electoral reform makes some very important recommendations. They include increasing minimum constituency size and establishing an independent electoral commission. That was published in August 2013 so that is a long time ago. Can the Taoiseach clarify whether it is six months or four months and when that report on electoral reform will be dealt with?
In respect of the Health Reform Bill, I do not know if the Taoiseach saw the report in The Lancet which said that among other things, there was a direct link between patient risk and staffing cuts. According to Professor Anne Scott who led the Irish arm of the study, "the assumption that hospital nurse staffing can be reduced to save money without adversely affecting patient outcomes may be misguided at best, and fatal at worst." Will this Bill take into account the fact that the safety of patients is decreased and the burden on nurses increased because of cuts and will there be an opportunity to debate that in this Chamber?
Comment on this
In respect of the latter point, 700 nurses were recruited and employed last year. Of course, there will be an opportunity to discuss all these matters in terms of the publication of the universal health insurance paper, which will deal with a range of issues that arise as one changes from a two-tier to a one-tier system. I must admit that the report referred to by Deputy Adams should have been dealt with in four months.
It was due in, I think, by December. That deadline was not met; I admit that. It was probably due to the rush of legislation, the exit from the bailout, the budget and all of the rest of it. The Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government is considering its views on it. I will give Deputy Adams an up-to-date report as to when we can expect it to come to Government, make our views known and debate that report of the convention here also. My apologies for not meeting the timeline. There were reasons for it.