Kathleen O'Meara (Labour)

I support Senator Higgins's amendment and echo his sentiments in this regard. It is very important and I am surprised the Clerk of the Seanad was not included ab initio in the legislation. It is very important that he or she is included specifically in the Bill.

The Minister of State in his remarks on earlier amendments appeared to take the view that the commission should be left to do its work because it knows how to do it. That is fine. We all know from long experience, however, that if certain matters are not spelt out in legislation passed through the Houses, there is no requirement in future for certain actions to be taken. While we set out the spirit of the legislation and how we might like to see it operate in practice, unless that is specified, we have no guarantee it will happen.

I have concerns about the status of the Seanad. We are the poor relation and increasingly seen as such. Much lip service is paid to our role, especially where legislation is concerned, and we have pointed this out already. We are happy to be used as the first House for legislation but we are not given the resources necessary to perform that function properly, nor are we given the status it should accord. This omission in the legislation is a good example.

Will the Minister of State ensure that the status of the Seanad as an independent and important part of the Oireachtas is set out clearly in the legislation by the inclusion of the amendment?