Fergus O'Dowd (Louth, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

In repealing the Seanad electoral acts and replacing certain provisions in those Acts, the Bill, on the face of it, reforms the method of election of Members of the Seanad. However, in the view of the Government, many of the provisions in this Bill are either incomplete or would be unworkable in the form presented. The Government has already settled its approach to Seanad reform following discussions between the Taoiseach, the Tánaiste and the other parties and groupings in the Oireachtas, and it is advancing legislation to reform the university franchise for the Seanad. We will, therefore, be opposing this Bill.

Although not specifically identifying them, Deputy Martin acknowledged the weaknesses in the Bill when introducing it in this House on 4 February. He stated:

We do not have available to us the level of support staff the Government can use for legislation but we have shown quite clearly how it is possible to significantly open up the Seanad even if the Government continues to refuse to hold a referendum on real reform. Many issues are to be addressed and refined in the Bill through a full debate on various stages.

I agree there are many issues to be addressed and refined in this Bill and I will draw attention to some of these. I want to address part 5 of the Bill, which proposes a universal franchise for the election of 43 Senators. As stated by the Government Chief Whip, Deputy Paul Kehoe, in a Seanad debate on 29 January 2014, if it was the intention in framing the Constitution, that there would be a universal franchise for Seanad Éireann, then the Constitution would have so provided and the provisions on the election of the Members of Seanad Éireann would have mirrored those for the election of Members of Dáil Éireann.

I will turn to those issues in the Bill that are to be refined. I know it is not necessary and is not the practice in a Second Stage debate-----

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