The people of Northern Ireland are beginning to grasp the enormity of these proposals and their potential impact. Surely fairness demands the Health Department do more than already done to bring this to people’s attention. Unquestionably, they can saturate us with any message they want. The fact that they have not done so, along with these proposals being novel and complex, should mean this consultation is extended, at the very least, until the end of the year. If it proves too difficult for people to express meaningful views, because of these factors, it might be wise to scrap the process altogether and develop outreach and learning leading to something more akin to a referendum.