I call on Deputy Mattie McGrath and remind him that we are dealing with promised legislation.

My question is very much on promised legislation. It is on the whole debacle around recruitment to the Citizens' Assembly by the polling company RED C. At the outset, Ms Justice Mary Laffoy, whom I respect, was full of praise of how the people were recruited. However, we have now found huge flaws in the process. One recruiter recruited seven people who were personally known to him. It raises fundamental concerns about the Citizens' Assembly. Eleven counties, including my own, were excluded from it. How could that be fair or reasonable demographically? The Minister has a lot to answer for. This was the start of his charade. We then had the stuffed-up committee of the Oireachtas which got him his desired answer. The genie is out of the bottle. Without disrespect to any of the assembly's members, the way in which the membership was chosen was a stitch-up. It has been found out now. The hem has fallen down on the dress and needs more stitches. We need answers from Ms Justice Laffoy.

We are dealing with promised legislation.

We need an independent evaluation which should not be carried out by RED C, which has already carried one out. In fact, RED C has accepted that 99 citizens could not represent the whole country in any case. That is its own admission. It is a failure. What is the Minister going to do about it?

We are on Questions on Promised Legislation.

I am happy to answer if the Leas-Cheann Comhairle wishes me to. On this matter, it would be entirely disingenuous to try to conflate the issue of a referendum on the eighth amendment with the issue of the error on the part of RED C.

It is a shambles.

This error affected a discussion on climate change rather than abortion. I do not know why the Deputy fears letting the people of Ireland have their say. That is all I want.

I do not fear it.

Let the people of Ireland have their say.

They will have their say.

They will have their say in May.

This is a stitch-up.

Deputy McGrath was not interrupted.

It is a total stitch-up. It is a total farce.

The Deputy will not have a second intervention.

I answered the question.

It is a stitch-up.

I have no control over the responses from Ministers.

The Minister needs to get his sewing machine out.

I raised this same issue with the Taoiseach early last year. At that time, nine counties were not represented on the Citizens' Assembly. We have now seen what has taken place. We hear it on the radio, see it on television and read about it in the papers. We have 26 counties. Surely the sensible and most democratic thing to do would be to select two per county. After that, the other 47 could be weighted in favour of the----

It is not a laughing matter.

I am not finished.

The Deputy is talking about 26 counties, not 32. That is the issue.

We will have Deputy Scanlon without interruption from any quarter. The Deputy will address the Minister through the Chair.

We have seen what happened. Of those who joined the Citizens' Assembly, 13 were replaced.

Seven were appointed in an unapproved manner. I think this is wrong. I genuinely believe this referendum should be postponed and that the whole process is compromised.

Hear, hear.

I will call for a full and immediate audit of the Citizens' Assembly's entire recruitment process over the last 18 months. I think it has been compromised.

On the same issue, this is utterly ridiculous. The matter has got absolutely nothing to do with the referendum on the eighth amendment-----

Deputy-----

Get rid of them. Get rid of the whole lot.

This is the citizens' assembly in here that we got elected to. We will not be dictated to by Sinn Féin bullies.

Get rid of the whole lot of them.

This is an insult to every member of that committee who sits in this Chamber and I will not have it.

All the Deputies are out of order except Deputy Scanlon and it is a matter-----

The Citizens' Assembly is out of order. That is the problem. No-one is listening. This is the citizens' assembly; anseo.

I will take action against Deputy Mattie McGrath if he continues like this. I am quite serious. There has to be some decorum in the House.

Of course there has, and in charades as well.

You are contributing to this.

A small bit of manners is needed from Deputy Mattie McGrath.

I invite the Minister to respond, if he feels it is appropriate to do so.

I will endeavour to respond. The Citizens' Assembly has taken place and made recommendations. Our colleagues in this House, people whom I respect regardless of what jersey they wear or do not wear in terms of their politics, have carried out a process and soon every citizen in every county will get their say on this issue. The job of work we have to do is to give the people their say at the end of May.