Mr. Diarmaid Ferriter:

I want to address the Chairman's contribution. The point she made about context in terms of the Constitutional Convention must be the starting point for our understanding of so much. If we consider what we have been getting to grips with in this country in recent times, all of the reports and revelations we have had and all of the debates we are going to continue to have, there must be substantial historical knowledge available to people to understand and contextualise these debates. We have heard very interesting contributions here by a number of Senators. If we are going to talk about Seanad reform or the future of the Seanad, we need to know from where it came.