Brendan Griffin (Kerry South, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Taoiseach for attending this debate in person and I am grateful to the Ceann Comhairle for facilitating us. The Topical Issue debate offers an excellent avenue for Deputies to raise matters of concern.

We cannot take our eyes off Dáil reform. I commend the Taoiseach on his courage and conviction in bringing the referendum on the Seanad before the people. I am proud that the leader of my party and country is a reformer with the conviction to let the people have their say. The people had their say and we now need to act accordingly. The priority for the Government needs to be reforming this House so that the reforms are more tangible and our business can be done more easily. The people want reform. One of the reasons I think voters were reluctant to agree to the abolition of the Seanad is because they did not think this Chamber was capable of holding the Executive to account in its current form.

They want to see an expansion of the Dáil's structures to allow Members to hold the Executive further to account. We must consider every possible avenue in this regard. We could start with something small like the Order of Business, the remit of which needs to be expanded. Limiting it to promised legislation is not enough. Given Prime Minister's questions across the water in the UK, there is no reason for our Order of Business not to include something similar. Every Deputy should be afforded an opportunity to ask the Taoiseach or the Tánaiste about matters of importance in their constituencies or the nation. The possible reforms that were mentioned in recent weeks must be implemented.

I concur with my colleagues regarding the matters that they raised. It is important that, in the course of this debate, we not lose sight of the fact that the Dáil needs to be reformed. I hope that it can stay at the top of the agenda.

See this speech in context