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

I would like to point out to Deputy Mathews that we have made significant progress, North and South, as a result of actions taken by this Parliament, regardless of government, in bringing peace to our land. Now we have shared Administration in the North and, thank God, after many years of violence, there is no violence on the streets. This is a result of our Government, the British Government and the political parties in Northern Ireland working together. Therefore, we have been very successful at bringing about a democratic resolution of many of the issues.

With regard to electoral reform of the Seanad, last month the Government published for consultation a Bill to implement the 1979 amendment commented on by other speakers in regard to the election of university Members of Seanad Éireann. The main features of the scheme are a single six-Member constituency to replace the current two university constituencies, an extension of the franchise to all holders of a degree or equivalent from an institution of higher education in the State, other technical provisions for the organisation of elections, including, for example, the creation of a register of electors, the appointment of a returning officer and arrangements for taking the poll and counting votes.

An opportunity has been provided for input into the preparation of legislation and the feedback from the consultation process will inform the further development and preparation of the Bill. The general scheme has been circulated to Seanad Éireann and forwarded to the Oireachtas Joint Committee on the Environment, Culture and the Gaeltacht. Copies were also sent to other stakeholders, including to 81 other institutions of higher education. As part of this process, written submissions have been invited from citizens, elected representatives and any other individuals or groups with views on the matter. Implementation of this constitutional provision could have been done at any point since 1979, but it is the current Government which has now taken this action to implement the will of the people.

While there has been no shortage here today of analysis of the shortcomings of how the Seanad operates, one thing that has been lacking is the willingness to act, but this Government has taken significant initiatives. Earlier, I outlined the Government's proposals for reform which can be implemented in the life of the current Seanad. In addition, we are advancing the overhaul of the arrangements for the election of the six university Senators.

We have instituted real and significant political reform since coming to office. These reforms range from constitutional reform - we have already put six referenda to the people and more are planned - to radical and significant reforms in regard to the financing of the political system. We have legislated to link the payment of State funding to political parties with the achievement of a gender balance in candidate selection at general election. Our reform of local government is the most radical of any reform in the past 100 years. We have introduced Dail reforms and reforms in the operation of the Oireachtas committee system.

There is a lot more to be done and we will continue, over the next two years, to advance the reform of our political system and the Oireachtas within the constitutional parameters to ensure that they operate to the best advantage of the people. I would like to mention also that the Freedom of Information Act was significantly dismembered by the previous Government and we are now restoring it to ensure the more probing and analytical advantage of full and transparent accountancy, which had been removed by the previous Government. In regard to Seanad reform, when Deputy Martin was in government with former Minister John Gormley, a Seanad reform group was set up in 2009. All of the political parties in the House contributed to that group, with the exception of Fianna Fáil which claimed the pressure of parliamentary business did not allow it time to make a submission.

The Fianna Fáil Seanad reform Bill cannot deliver the change nor the reform that is needed. I have outlined the reasons for saying this in my earlier contribution. On behalf of the Government, I oppose this Bill.

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