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THE CITIZENS’ ASSEMBLY is to meet for the first time today but there’ll be no discussion on the issues for six weeks at the earliest.
The process of selecting the 99 member committee has concluded and the members will meet for the first time at Dublin Castle today.
They’ll hear an introductory address from Taoiseach Enda Kenny and other speakers before the meeting enters private session where they will discuss the work programme and procedures of the Assembly.
It’s envisaged that the exact format of Assembly will be developed by members themselves as part of an effort to ensure that it is citizen-led.
One of their tasks will be to select a steering group that will be made up entirely of members.
Among the jobs of this steering group will be to approve the expert panels that will speak when the five separate issues are discussed over the 10 weekends of the Citizens’ Assembly.
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Nominees for these expert groups will come in part from chairperson Ms Justice Mary Laffoy but also from submissions from interested representative groups.
The Citizens’ Assembly was established under the Department of An Taoiseach and it’s promised that these panels will:
reflect different views on the issues to be considered by the assembly in a balanced way.
The Assembly has been tasked with looking at five separate issues with Ireland’s abortion laws the first to be discussed. In order of priority, the five issues the Assembly will look at are:
the Eighth Amendment of the Constitution.
how we best respond to the challenges and opportunities of an ageing population.
fixed term parliaments.
the manner in which referenda are held.
how the State can make Ireland a leader in tackling climate change.
Despite being the first of the five issues to be discussed, discussion on the Eighth Amendment will not begin until the next weekend meeting of the Assembly on 25 November in the Grand Hotel in Malahide.
Thereafter, discussion will continue on the issue over a number of meetings until it’s deemed to be concluded.
Each weekend of the Assembly runs for Saturday and half of Sunday on members are paid expenses for their travel and if they have to stay over in Dublin.
The Assembly has said that a and recommendation and report on the Eighth Amendment will be submitted to the Oireachtas in the first half of 2017.
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What a brilliant out of the box idea – where they whole world is turning extreme right it’s refreshing to see the possibilities to be had while providing a service to African countries. We get bashed from pillar to post by politicians and inquiry after inquiry and sometimes lose track of what makes Irish people great.
@Paul: So a good news story about an African country gets dragged down by someone virtue signalling their hatred of all things right wing. IMO it’s a great story as it shows what people can do for themselves if given the help and resources to get started, One needs seed capital to participate in capitalism, these credit unions appear to be doing the right thing in getting economic activity going. Like many in the West they too wanted and have opted for change in government, here’s hoping the new guy can govern well and support these business people.
@Paul: Capitalism at its best, private individuals and organisations taking matters into their own hands instead of waiting for the government to do something about it.
My Dad worked with the Irish League of Credit Unions in the Gambia to help train local people and set up Credit Unions in 1998 and again in 2000. I’ve sent him this link. It’ll make his day.
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