Brian Hayes (Fine Gael)

Regarding the 43 Members elected from the vocational sub-panels, the best way to approach that would be by way of a list system, whereby parties could appoint, according to a list, a rota of people. Depending on the percentage they get at the general election, Members could be appointed from that list. Nominations for the Seanad and Dáil should be held on the same day. This would allow people who have purely legislative interests and requirements to be elected to the Seanad and not to the Dáil. By doing that, we would be able to reform the Seanad.

These are my personal views. This will be a wide-ranging debate, which I welcome. I hope that at the end of it we will have a consensus on how we can go forward rather than the endless reports we have had on this subject for the past 30 years.