Alan Shatter pushing for bill to limit delays in introducing laws after referendums
Former Justice Minister Alan Shatter is looking to limit the delays that can hit the introduction of new laws after a referendum.
Deputy Shatter is putting forward a private members bill in the Dáil which would see appeals in referendum cases fast-tracked to the Supreme Court.
He is highlighting the Children's Rights amendment which was passed in a public vote in November 2012, but the provisions were not incorporated into the constitution until April of this year.
Alan Shatter says he is not trying to prevent decisions being challenged.
He said: "We have to find a proper balance between the rights of the people in a referendum to make a decision and the rights of citizens to challenge that decision through the courts.
"And where this presently stands, inordinate delays occur, there's a need for a more precise structure and there's a need to bring certainty."
