Martin Mansergh (Tipperary South, Fianna Fail)

I take the points that have been made in this debate. However, my experience of both Houses leads me to suggest that if one leaves aside illness, which can prevent people from attending the Houses, and if one leaves aside pairs for important business, which do not always involve officeholders, all Members could think of a small minority of Members who, for one reason or another, do not attach great importance to attending these Houses. I have a sneaking suspicion that were remuneration to be connected to attendance, one would cease to have a problem in that small minority of cases.

Obviously, there are pros and cons to the system proposed by the Houses of the Oireachtas Commission. The one glaring case that affects almost all Members and for which the allowance is far below the actual cost pertains to office rental. As Senator Donohoe noted, Members must adapt, take reductions and accept a greater spirit of austerity. However, I would not wish, for example, for Senators to revert to the conditions that obtained up to the early 1980s, whereby one might have six or eight Senators in a single room with just one secretary among them. Justifiable improvements have been made in this regard.

I hope I have dealt with the different points raised by Members. Obviously, no decision has been made on either the question of the introduction of a standard allowance or on the specific issue mentioned by the Minister regarding a form or system of signing in. Many places of employment do so and as I mentioned in my short speech at the European Parliament, this is a subject on which people in different parties have different views. I do not hold it against either Senator Donohoe or Senator Twomey that they might have different views on the subject. Different views exists within all parties in this regard and we still are working through these issues.

I thank the House for its broad support for the changes in the new section 3.