Eamonn Maloney (Dublin South West, Labour)

Like others in the Labour Party, I welcome the Bill which is long overdue. The issues to be dealt with are, among others, the issues debated during the general election, and the Minister has taken action in this regard by presenting the Bill to the House.

I am at one with the other speakers on the proposals for by-elections and for the expenditure limits in presidential elections. I welcome and look forward to the establishment of the commission which will provide a great opportunity for citizens who have much to say and have opinions on how this country should be reformed and modernised. This is an opportunity presented by this Government to the population.

I have been a life-long opponent of the Seanad because it has its roots in elitism and in the outgoing British authorities and their discussions with the incoming new Irish establishment and not one, but two, churches. I have never had any time for the Seanad, aside from the fact that people talk about how much money its abolition will save, be that €7 million or €8 million. In recent times I hear people talking about how important for democracy it is to preserve the Upper House. I have never heard one of these people referring to the representation of one of the largest sections of Irish society, the almost 500,000 unemployed people. I did not hear a single person during the Seanad elections talk about having someone in the Seanad who is unemployed. I look forward to the establishment of the commission and to the abolition of the Seanad. In case the Minister is nervous about reducing the number of TDs, I was out in Kildare Street earlier and I did not see thousands of Irish people with their placards so it is obvious the Minister is doing the right thing. On the other hand, I would be bringing the Minister a different message if he were to propose to increase the number of TDs, and the situation outside these large granite walls with their large black railings would be different.

I must make it clear that some Members of the Seanad have done some very good things. I can think of one good Member-----

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