Taoiseach to have talks on Constitution

THE TAOISEACH, Enda Kenny, will meet Opposition party leaders before the Dáil Christmas recess to discuss the long-promised constitutional convention, a major public debate on the Constitution, which takes place next spring.

Mr Kenny told the Dáil that his pledge to abolish the Seanad would be dealt with as a referendum proposal outside the terms of the convention as would the plebiscite on children’s rights.

He expressed concern, however, about whether it was appropriate to hold more than one referendum on the same date “given the confusion surrounding the recent referenda”. Mr Kenny pointed out that turnout must be more than 30 per cent for a referendum to be valid. There was also a cost consideration.

“We cannot hold referendums on a quarterly basis,” he said. He wanted to talk to party leaders separately about that but it was the Government’s “intention to hold the referendum on the abolition of the Seanad” outside the terms of the constitutional convention. He added that “when the children’s advocacy groups get together and agree on a wording”, the children’s rights referendum would also be held outside the terms of the constitutional convention.

Fianna Fáil leader Micheál Martin said the Taoiseach indicated “as far back as June” that party leaders would be consulted on the convention but there had been no consultation since then “on anything to do with the establishment of the convention”.

Sinn Féin leader Gerry Adams said it was important that discussions with Opposition leaders “be open-ended”. Clarification “is needed on membership and participation by civic society, people from the six counties, the unionists and the new Irish”. He also reminded Mr Kenny that he had given a commitment to discuss voting rights in presidential elections for Irish passport holders “from the North and among the diaspora” across the globe.

Socialist Party TD for Dublin West Joe Higgins asked if the Taoiseach planned a referendum to change the requirement for presidential candidates to be “dependent on members of the Oireachtas or county councillors” for a nomination. Mr Kenny said a Private Members’ Bill to be debated this week proposed seven changes to the presidency.