Seanad debates
Wednesday, 2 July 2003
Houses of the Oireachtas Commission Bill 2002: Report and Final Stages.
The argument is made that there are three Senators on the commission by right and we acknowledge that. It is not, however, beyond the bounds of possibility that in a new Seanad, if there is a swing to one party and a large transfer of Members from this House to the other, there will be an influx of new Members. When I entered the Seanad in 1981, having been nominated by the then Taoiseach, there were very few former Senators in the House. A new influx was elected and the then Taoiseach, Dr. Garrett FitzGerald, used it as a training ground for aspiring TDs in constituencies where the party was not represented. This could lead to a situation where novice Senators without the necessary experience to act on the Seanad's behalf represent it on the commission.
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