Brian Hayes (Fine Gael)

I ask other colleagues to reflect on that. If the House has a definite function in our Constitution to review legislation, we must not be as party political as we were in the other House. The Seanad has been successful because of its independence.

I have three problems with the current situation. The first, which all parties and Governments experience, is that there is too much legislation. Unfortunately, when a Minister decides to announce an initiative, it inevitably involves the introduction of legislation. The number of Bills proposed in the Houses of the Oireachtas in the past ten years outweighs the number proposed in the previous 50 years. That is a problem, not only in this House, but also in the other House. We must be able to quickly reflect what is happening in the country. That is the reason I raised urgent matters on the Order of Business today. If that facility is not available, the public will look cynically on the proceedings here.