Ireland’s citizens’ assemblies are an exercise in deliberative democracy, in which members of the general public are invited to help the Oireachtas (Irish parliament) and Government address important constitutional, legal and/or policy challenges.
Citizens’ assemblies in Ireland are designed to complement and support representative democracy. The relationship between citizens’ assemblies and the Oireachtas is clearly defined. Each assembly is proposed by the Government and formally established by the Oireachtas. Once an assembly has been given its Terms of Reference, it operates independently of the Oireachtas and Government.
Over the last decade or so, citizens’ assemblies have proven themselves to be an innovative and effective way to grapple with some of the most complex and thorny policy issues facing Irish society. They are now an accepted and valued part of the Irish democratic process, and play an important role not only in informing the political system but in engaging the wider public and stakeholders in debating important issues.
Each Citizens’ Assembly brings together a group of randomly-selected members of the public, women and men from all age groups, walks of life and different parts of the country, to learn about, deliberate and exchange views on issues. The demographic profile of each Citizen’s Assembly is intended to broadly reflect that of wider Irish society.
Members of the assembly are asked to examine the evidence, and to carefully consider diverse viewpoints from experts and stakeholders. They are also asked to consider the experiences in other countries, and to reflect on the lived experience of ordinary people affected by the subject matter. Typically, the wider public and stakeholder organisations are invited to make detailed submissions as part of a public consultation process.
This wide range of inputs is designed to assist the members of the assembly to weigh up the issues, and identify recommendations. The heart of the Citizens’ Assembly is known as the ‘deliberative process’. This involves members of the assembly working in small groups to discuss, debate and reflect on the evidence and perspectives presented to them.
Each Assembly, when it has concluded its deliberations, produces a report (or reports), which set out a series of recommendations for the Government and the Oireachtas. Neither the Government nor the Oireachtas is obliged to accept the recommendations of the Citizens’ Assembly. However, both give an undertaking that they will carefully consider and respond publicly to the recommendations.
