Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

The report on sustaining small schools has been buried. We cannot hear about it either until after the local elections. The democratic revolution has not happened. Will the Minister of State embrace the kind of change that the Government promised before the election, one that would radically reform how politics works in Dáil Éireann and Seanad Éireann? He did not answer my question on the direct franchise. The Government can decide, and would receive the Opposition's support, to change the law to allow the people to elect Senators. Will the Minister of State confirm whether the Government is prepared to proceed with that legislation before the next general election? It would be a major fillip to the concept of reform if we allowed citizens to elect people to the Upper House.

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