Alex White (Labour)

The Labour Party group will not oppose the nomination of Senator Moylan to the position of Cathaoirleach. Like many new Members of the House, I only had the briefest of opportunities to meet the Senator yesterday evening, but I know him by reputation to be a fair-minded and courteous person. I am sure he will employ those attributes and talents in his stewardship of the business of the House.

The Labour Party group will have occasion to rely on those skills in the days, weeks and months ahead whether in pursuing its objectives or in respect of issues that have been briefly touched on, namely, the procedures of the House. They are not a matter for today, but questions as to the priority to be accorded to groups with equal numbers of Members is an issue I propose to have revisited at the appropriate time. I am sure Senator Moylan will employ the sense of fairness and sound judgment for which he is known in the House.

I join my colleagues in congratulating everyone elected to the House. I am a new Member, which I have in common with a significant percentage of this House. More than in the other House, many of this House's Members have been elected for the first time. It is a great honour for me to stand as the leader of my group in my first contribution as a Member of the Oireachtas. It is important to note that while we all want to respect and rely on the considerable experience of people such as the Acting Chairman, whom I have known for many years, Senator Norris and others, each of us has a mandate of equal standing irrespective of whether we have been here since time immemorial or we arrived today. This should not be taken as a criticism of anyone, but we should reflect on the fact that our 60 mandates have the same standing, be we nominated or elected or regardless of how long we have been here. There is no basis for an accumulated mandate or anything of that kind. Having said that, I look forward to working with experienced Members of the Seanad.

The Labour Party group has only one previous Senator returned to the House — Senator McCarthy. Five of the six Labour Party Senators are new. I am honoured to be in this position and am conscious of the distinguished service given by the many people who stood in this spot, not least of whom was Mr. Brendan Ryan who gave many years of service to the House. His is a hard act to follow.

I agree with comments on the need for a real debate on reform of the Seanad and, more widely, democratic institutions. When we discuss reform, there is a tendency on the part of speakers to concentrate on one aspect in which they are interested and to ignore equally important aspects that would make them uncomfortable were those reforms to come about.

Senator O'Toole pointed out that a report on representation in the House was conducted. It is my brief reflection that the report's outcome was tame in terms of what needed to be done. I am conscious of the Acting Chairman's background and the other comments, but if we are to discuss university representation, for example, we should be prepared to go beyond considering the question of reform and adding institutions. We should consider whether it is legitimate or appropriate for university graduates to have privileged access to the House in terms of electing people to it. I do not contend that the removal of this privilege should necessarily be the outcome of our discussions. However, the question of whether one should be eligible to vote in elections to this House simply because one is a graduate should be on the agenda. I agree with Senator Boyle that everything should be on the table rather than merely those issues with which we are comfortable.

My Labour Party colleagues and I do not intend to oppose the nomination of Senator Moylan to the Chair, which seems likely to succeed. I wish him well in what will be his new position and I look forward to engaging, along with my colleagues, with all the business that comes before us. That business will, on many occasions, require us to oppose the Government. However, it is also important that we undertake fully our role as legislators by bringing forward innovative ideas and proposals rather than simply waiting for them to issue from the Government. This legislative function is an important aspect of the role of Members of this House and one with which I and my Labour Party colleagues intend to engage. We will oppose as necessary while also respecting this House as a forum for true debate and engagement with all the important issues and challenges that face us in this State.