Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I propose to take Questions Nos. 6 to 11, inclusive, together.

The programme for Government commitment in relation to the Seanad was to hold a referendum on its abolition, and the Government did so. Following on the referendum, I attended the Seanad on 23 October last year to hear the views of Senators on how reform of the Seanad might proceed. I then met the leaders of the different parties and groupings in the Dáil and Seanad on 18 December last year to discuss how best to proceed with that reform.

During the meeting each person was given the opportunity to present his or her views and it was agreed that work on procedural reform could proceed quickly. All the parties and groupings in both Houses, including the Government through the Leader of the Seanad, could present their proposals in this regard to the Seanad Committee on Procedure and Privileges, CPP. The Government presented earlier this year a package of proposals on Seanad reform to the Leader of the Seanad for submission to the Seanad CPP. It is now a matter for that committee to consider these proposals, along with any other proposals it has received and to make its recommendations for reform.

During the course of the campaign on the Seanad referendum and in the years preceding it, a significant number of proposals and plans for Seanad reform were made by a variety of groups, including Seanad committees, political parties, academic bodies, professional and union groups and members of the public. It is important that these inputs are not overloaded and that we develop a means to progress suggestions where possible and appropriate. In order to progress the reform process, the Government will establish a working party to examine the submissions and proposals already made and to seek further submissions as may wish to be made.

The working party that I intend to appoint will look at the role of a reformed Seanad within the political process, the powers and functions of a reformed Seanad, the method of election and selection of members of a reformed Seanad and any other matter that the working party might sees as relevant, and report back to Government not later than the end of February 2015.

The people have voted for the retention of the Seanad. There is a wealth of information and reports about what might be done to improve, look at or make changes to the electoral system to the Seanad within the parameters of the Constitution. I will appoint that body very shortly to report back by the end of February.

As regards legislative reform, the Government, for its part, committed to bringing forward legislation to implement the 1979 amendment to Article 18 of the Constitution on the election of Members of Seanad Éireann by institutions of higher education in the State. The Government earlier this year published the general scheme of that Bill to achieve this. It should be noted that the amendment to the Constitution that enabled this to take place was passed by the people 35 years ago and this is the first Government to take steps to implement it. Following public consultation on the general scheme, the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government expects to publish the Bill to extend the university franchise in the not-too-distant future.

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