Brian Hayes (Fine Gael)

I am delighted to second the motion. The Fine Gael Members of the Seanad very much support the motion originating from the Committee on Procedure and Privileges which calls for the establishment of a sub-committee on Seanad reform and we encourage other Members to do likewise. When the committee began to debate this issue we felt that the most appropriate way forward in dealing with the issue of Seanad reform was through the establishment of a sub-committee which could work on the matter over a period of time before reporting to the Seanad.

There is one defect to the motion which I noticed only a week ago in that it describes no timeframe for reporting back to the Seanad. We need to look at that because if we establish this sub-committee without setting a timeframe the entire debate could take place over the next three to four years without any conclusion being reached. I ask the Leader and Members to consider that issue before we agree to the motion in its entirety.