Pat Rabbitte (Dublin South West, Labour)

The Minister of State was overawed by the quality of the contributions in the Seanad. Like Deputy Bruton, I know the Minister of State, and all I will do is suggest to the House that he was somewhat less overawed than those quoted words would leave one to believe.

If we are serious about answering if politics is fit for purpose, we must admit the way our bicameral system operates is lamentably wanting. One cannot have a second House that replicates this one. Neither can one have another Chamber that is roughly based on the same electoral system that elects this House.

We have been talking about reforming the Seanad for as long as we have the draining of the River Shannon. I do not know what will come out of the debate. While I read the McCarthy report's recommendations, I have an open mind. If there were a manner of reconstructing the Upper House, then it should be examined.

A normal person reading the exchanges concerning the Bill's Second Stage debate would defy the Minister of State's claim he was overawed with stars in his eyes by the debate. If one examines in detail the Official Report of the Seanad, one will find the amount of time spent on reflective, quality and insightful scrutiny of legislation line by line is modest. There is more time spent citing lamas on the M50 and wondering what will be done about it than quality scrutiny of legislation.

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