Brendan Ryan (Labour)

I second the amendment. Senator Higgins has said almost everything that needs to be said but I would like to make one point. People often forget that this House is not entirely subordinate to the Dáil. It has one power where it is equal to the other House, namely, the power to reject a statutory instrument, and there is no procedure for the Dáil to overrule it. The Seanad is not just a consultative Chamber but one with real powers.

I have great regard for the Minister of State and have had interesting debates with him on numerous topics in many forums. He was presented with tissue thin defences for some of these decisions.