Mr. Bernard Joyce:

I thank Senator Fitzpatrick. I will be brief because I am conscious of the time for other members. I absolutely agree that when we are talking about minorities we are also talking about new communities and existing communities in that context. It is really about ensuring that it is looked at with an holistic approach with the commission, and also that it can appoint people from those minorities within the group so it is not people talking about the communities, it is the communities engaged in the process. That would be a really positive step in trying to move from the level of people feeling disenfranchised to putting in further steps to bridge the gap between them and the political establishment.

On the other side, it is about people who are representative of those groups and that the Dáil or the Seanad, for example, would represent the society we live in. It is always great to see Travellers or other minority groups represented because it gives a sense of it being reflective of the true Ireland we represent. It was highlighted that Travellers had not previously been represented in the Seanad or the Dáil in the past 100 years. That is only happening now. While we make such a big deal about it and think it is great, we are still so far removed. The onus should not be on any one individual, it should be on all of us to do the right thing, which is to make this space a place that is representative and inclusive of the decisions that are made about our lives.

There is also the point I made previously that the Seanad is formed by the elite. Only 1% of Travellers attend third level. If one takes this into consideration, 99% of Travellers do not go to third level. Therefore, the process used to make up the Seanad is already restrictive and already puts certain groups at a disadvantage. That would have to change also to make sure that while we are talking about reform it must be reform that is fit for purpose in the 21st century.