The Government has committed to holding a referendum on same-sex marriage and the Taoiseach has stated he strongly supports such a referendum. When will the Government set a firm date for this?

This morning, the Cabinet agreed a redress scheme for victims of the barbaric practice of symphysiotomy. Will the Walsh and Murphy reports be published? The Minister has had them for more than a year. Thus far the Government has refused to lift the Statute of Limitations and allow victims who wish to go to the courts to do so. Will the detail of the redress scheme and its framework and procedures be published? Is the Government prepared to lift the Statute of Limitations?

Tá dhá cheist eile agam. Dhá mhí ó shin, mar fhreagra ar cheist a chuir mé chuig an Taoiseach ar chás Bhaile Uí Mhurchú, dúirt sé go raibh sé tiomanta do bhunú rún uile-pháirtí ar an gcás seo agus gheall sé go raibh sé chun an rún seo a dhréachtú agus a chur inár láthair. Thug sé an freagra céanna sin dom gach uair a chuir mé an cheist seo air. Dúirt sé go raibh sé ar intinn aige rún a fhoilsiú an tseachtain seo caite, agus an tseachtain roimhe sin. An féidir leis níos mó eolais a thabhairt dom anois faoi seo? An mbeidh sé ag dul ar aghaidh leis an rún seo?

Maidir leis an tionól bunreachtúil agus an dóigh gur theip ar an Rialtas freagairt ghasta a thabhairt in am maidir leis an tuairisc a tháinig ón tionól, the resolution of the Dáil which established the Constitutional Convention set a timeframe of four months for the Government to respond to its recommendations. The official response to the convention's fourth report, on electoral reform, was due last December. The deadline for the Government's response to the fifth report, on the right of citizens resident outside the State to vote, was in March. The deadline for the Government's response to the sixth report, on blasphemy, was in May. In April, when I asked the Taoiseach about this he told me he acknowledged the Government was not measuring up in terms of allowing time for discussion on the convention's reports. This remains the case and nothing has changed. These reports are building up. I attended many meetings of the Constitutional Convention and it was a very good exercise in citizen participation. The citizen delegates were delighted to be involved. When can we expect the Dáil to have an opportunity to discuss the work and recommendations of the Constitutional Convention?

I regret we are well outside the limit we had set ourselves to have these matters discussed. The problem is that a number of Departments have still not come back with requirements to allow us to bring it to the Dáil and discuss it. I will see to it that the senior officials dealing with the remaining elements respond quickly.

In respect of Ballymurphy, I prepared the motion for all party acceptance and then I received a number of pieces of correspondence from others in Northern Ireland about other issues which arose there which they wanted included. We are working on this to see if we can have a comprehensive motion, which will be discussed with Deputies Martin and Adams shortly. I hope we can do so before the House breaks up for the summer.

Symphysiotomy is another example of a legacy issue whereby this barbaric treatment was imposed on women. Even the Supreme Court stated this on-the-way-out treatment after a section when a child was born was completely unnecessary. Many of these women suffered stress and distress and it caused incontinence, back pain and chronic fatigue and so much psychological damage. Two reports were done: Professor Oonagh Walsh's report on symphysiotomy in Ireland from 1944 to 1984 and Judge Murphy's independent review of issues relating to symphysiotomy. The Minister wanted to get this right. The two reports came before the Government today and they have been approved for publication. Today, the Government approved an ex gratia scheme at a cost of approximately €34 million which will bring closure for women who underwent surgical symphysiotomy. This will be administered by the State Claims Agency. Many of these women are now elderly and have been waiting for decades for closure. It is another element of what we have had to deal with, from Magdalens to mother and baby homes to all of these issues which have been lying around for years and not dealt with. It was absolutely barbaric treatment and I am glad that today it came before the Government, which approved publication of the reports. I understand the Minister has been speaking on this at a public conference. We welcome Professor Walsh's report and the report of Judge Murphy and this morning approved a sum of approximately €34 million to deal with ex gratia payments for these women who went through this horrible experience.

I asked about the referendum.

I apologise. It will be in the spring of next year. We have not named a date yet. A number of other legal issues need to be dealt with, including elements of adoption which are necessary. We would like to have them cleared before we put the marriage equality referendum. It will be in the spring of next year and the Government will decide in due course on an actual date.