Paschal Mooney (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I will be very brief. I want to raise a parochial issue on behalf of all Senators.

A significant amount of legislation is initiated in the Seanad. In many cases, it is not discovered by the media until it emerges in the Dáil three or four months later. I will use the Irish Water debate as a specific example. There were 44 hours of debate on the matter in the Seanad. The political legacy of that was that there was no debate of any significance in the Dáil. A great deal of legislation is amended in the Seanad. Could the point be made at RTE's weekly editorial meetings that journalists who are on the Oireachtas beat should acquaint themselves with legislation that is going through the House? Senator John Whelan and I have spoken about this. We accept that the Seanad will always be the second House anyway. We are not looking for parity, as such. As my late father, God rest him, used to say, journalists should do a little bit of research. I am not speaking specifically about RTE here. I am referring generally to the way the media approaches Seanad business. Topical items that are discussed in the Seanad at great length are discovered for the first time by the media when they go to the Dáil. At one of RTE's weekly editorial meetings, perhaps Ms Deirdre McCarthy could ask the journalists covering the Oireachtas beat to acquaint themselves with the origins of legislation, rather than focusing exclusively on the Dáil. As journalists are the mirror on our world, they should help to make people on the outside aware that contrary to what the perception might be, the Seanad does business. I am sorry for going on, but it is a matter of great irritation to me. Deputy Michael McCarthy would know from his time in the Seanad that it irritates Senators to read about legislation three months after it was debated at great length in the Seanad. We might even have amended it to improve it, which is what our role is, but that kind of context, history or background is often unreported.