Brian Hayes (Dublin South West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

For people to suggest there has been no reform either in the other House or in the further proposals we have set out is simply untrue. We stand over the actions we have taken thus far while acknowledging that there is a long way to travel. We are not suggesting for a moment that the whole issue of parliamentary reform stands or falls on the question of the abolition of the Seanad. We have initiated a far-reaching process of reform, some of which is already in place. We have, for example, substantially increased the number of Dáil sitting days. While that number was 76 in 2007 and 97 in 2008, it increased, under this Administration, to 108 in 2011 and 123 last year. The Dáil is changing.

Some people have suggested that Friday sittings which facilitate debate on Private Members' Bills by Opposition Members and Government backbenchers are worthless. That is not true and I ask people to consider the facts. I recently took part in a Friday debate where 25 Deputies spoke on a Private Members' Bill brought forward by Deputy Robert Dowds of the Labour Party on the question of rights of landowners. That would never have happened in the old Dáil, but it is happening every Friday now. There has been a dismissive suggestion from certain quarters-----