Alan Shatter (Dublin South, Fine Gael)

The importance of the position of President and the benefits to the State of the Presidency are clearly seen in the events of this week. Mrs. McAleese has been a most distinguished President. She and her husband have made an extraordinarily valuable contribution to the peace process. She has done enormous work to the benefit of the State in visits she has made to other countries. The Presidency has been established as an office of genuine value and importance. The key to that office is, of course, the person elected thereto. We have been very fortunate to have had the recent holders of that office. Therefore, I do not share the Deputy's view thereon.

With regard to bringing forward legislation, I agree with the Deputy on the merits of holding a considered referendum on judicial pay that would not interfere with the independence of the Judiciary, which is very important, but which would ensure changes in public pay across the public sector, or changes within what I would describe as grades with pay scales comparable to those of the Judiciary, were applied equally to the Judiciary. A referendum on this issue would receive substantial support from the majority of the people. I hope we will hold that referendum this year, but it is a matter for the Government to determine the date.

In the context of the other referenda mentioned by the Deputy, there is substantial work to be done in drafting legislation and teasing out the wording required in certain instances, for example, the referendum required arising from the Abbeylara judgment. We must ensure committees of this House have full and proper capacity to ask questions, obtain answers and publish reports, but we must not create a system in the House that would resemble the Star Chamber of many centuries ago. There is a balance to be prescribed in the legislation that must be given careful thought. It is legislation for which the Government has great enthusiasm. The Government has an enormous reforming agenda. Substantial legislation will be produced by my Department and others. An issue arises in ensuring adequate advice is obtained from the Office of the Attorney General and that office has time to consider the detail of what is emerging from each Department.

See this speech in context