I want to ask the Tánaiste about the citizens' assembly and how the Government plans to proceed in that regard. She mentioned that the Government was going to bring forward a proposal to the Dáil for us to analyse. I particularly want to ask whether the very badly named citizens' assembly will include any non-citizen. If it is to work strictly off the electoral register, as the polling company has been asked to do, will it include a sizeable number of people who live and have status in this country, who are married to citizens but are not citizens themselves and whose numbers are significant? As the Tánaiste knows, the eighth amendment also affects non-citizens, given that it affects anyone living in the country. As one in four of my constituents is from outside Ireland, this is a serious issue. We must, therefore, have non-citizens in the assembly.

On the same issue, will the Government do something to insulate those in the assembly from pressure from groups? For example, we all know that there is a history of anti-abortion and other groups lobbying Deputies intensely which are very, let us we say, descriptive in some of the ways they deal with people. I am very anxious that those in the assembly be protected against this.

The legislation that will be brought to the House, similar to the legislation that was brought before it when the convention was being set up, will concern the selection of citizens from the electoral register. The points made by the Deputy are certainly interesting, in particular the first point about who is included in the electoral register. The intention is that it is people on the electoral register who will form part of the citizens' assembly. They will obviously represent a wide diversity and-----

A lot of people are excluded from the register, some 12%.

If the Deputy attends the citizenship ceremonies, as I do, she will know about the wide range of people from all over the world who have applied for and gained Irish citizenship in the past ten years and who are now on the electoral register.

On the Deputy's point about protecting people from undue influence, that issue was managed very successfully during the convention and I believe it can be managed again. It is a relevant point that needs to be considered. When the chairperson is appointed, there will be the possibility for expert groups to support the work of the chairperson and the assembly. Given the sensitive nature of the topic and previous history, let us hope we will not see the situation outlined by the Deputy. However, I have no doubt that it is something of which the chairperson will be very cognisant and to which he or she will pay attention. Obviously, people's private addresses will not be known and I hope that situation will not arise. Nonetheless, it can certainly form part of the discussion when the Bill is introduced in the House.

When is the legislation due to be presented?

It was agreed to by the Cabinet this morning. I do not yet have a date for when it will be brought to the House.