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Dáil
‹ Order of Business

Mother and baby homes inquiry

Summary

Deputy Gerry Adams sought debate on the commission’s terms of reference, including county homes, Protestant institutions and Magdalen laundries. The Taoiseach said he would address the matter and confirmed other requested debates and legislation were being considered.

I refer to the terms of reference of the commission of investigation into the mother and baby homes. I understand from our spokesperson that the Minister for Justice and Equality is bringing them to completion, but she said in June that it was expected that they would be before the House prior to the summer recess. That did not happen. We need an opportunity to debate these serious issues. Will the terms of reference include county homes, the Westbank Orphanage, some of the Protestant institutions and the Magdalen laundries? There is an indication that others will be appointed to the commission. When can we expect to know who they might be?

The same sex marriage and presidential election referendums deal with important issues relating to fundamental human rights, on which the Constitutional Convention took a progressive stance. The Minister of State with responsibility for the Diaspora is reported as having told an Irish-American audience that the date for the referendums would be set before Christmas. When will the referendum on same sex marriage be held? When will the referendum to lower the age to vote in and extend voting rights to presidential elections be held?

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Enda Kenny The Taoiseach Fine Gael

In respect of statements on Northern Ireland, I do not know whether Deputy Micheál Martin is talking about after the Christmas break, but I do not have an objection to this. I will also see whether we can do something about having a common condemnation of the Taliban's wanton murder of children.

The climate change Bill will be taken in the first week following the resumption of the Dáil.

I expect the debate on the Water Services Bill to conclude in the Dáil and the Seanad before Christmas and hope we can agree on dealing with it.

The terms of reference of the mother and baby homes commission of investigation will be brought to the Cabinet at the first meeting after Christmas. They will be debated in the House.

In respect of the referendums, the Government made two decisions this morning to hold a referendum on the proposal put by the Constitutional Convention on the reduction of the eligibility of age to vote in presidential elections and to give authorisation to the Minister for Justice and Equality to draft the marriage equality Bill to hold a referendum on the issue. Both referendums will be held on the one day in May 2015, but the Government did not decide on a final date. The Minister will come back to the Government when she has finalised her proposals in respect of the marriage equality question. The Government has to set up a referendum commission and so on in dealing with these matters.

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