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

If anything meaningful is to be done, the drafting process needs to start soon. This has dragged on for far too long. During the lifetime of the previous Administration, we met and we stated that we supported the idea of a legislative mechanism to ensure a democratic franchise. This did not happen. We are open to the implementation of the Manning report recommendations, although I would have gone further than what is proposed in those recommendations. Nonetheless, they represent a compromise. I would have preferred a full franchise, so that the people could decide, within the existing constitutional framework, who should be their Senators. That said, we, along with the other parties, are prepared to agree to it. We need to create the mechanisms in order that we can agree the drafting of the legislative template required to bring about reform of the Seanad. I believe in the Seanad, which is why I campaigned against its abolition. We need independent voices. We need more voices, not fewer, in public debate. The worst slogan I ever saw in a referendum campaign was that of Fine Gael's "Vote Yes - less politicians". The idea of the fewer the better was a terrible indictment of the political profession. People believe that in Russia and elsewhere but we should not be extolling a view of that nature in a democracy such as ours.

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