Joe O'Toole (Independent)

I urge the Leader to consider the Senator's point. As I have said to every Government for the past 16 years, it is important to realise that not all wisdom is on the Government side of the House at any one time. The Opposition can also raise issues which should be argued on their merits. What is happening is that civil servants are saying, "How dare anybody other than those on the Government side bring forward a Bill?" This is schoolyard behaviour. If a Bill is good, it should be supported; if not, it should be buried and if it requires changes, they should be made. There are many Members on the Government side who support that point of view. It would bring greater independence of office to the Seanad, including those on the Government side.

There used to be a proud tradition in politics whereby a Member on the Government side could bring a Bill to the House independently. There is nothing wrong with this. Any Member of the House can do so and the Government can deal with such a Bill in the same way as it deals with other legislation. It is wrong to adopt the blanket position that every Bill that comes from the Opposition side should be opposed, unless it represents a huge embarrassment to the Government. The Government should use it as a way to put pressure on Departments by asking if legislation introduced is good, why has it not been introduced. If it is bad, it could be opposed.