Rónán Mullen (Independent)

I compliment Senators O'Toole and Ross on raising this issue again in the Seanad. Senator O'Toole did so previously, with the support of his colleagues on the Independent benches. However, I wonder whether it is an exercise in futility as this is the third such debate since I was elected in 2007. On the first occasion the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government, Deputy Gormley, spoke confidently that by Christmas of that year legislation would be brought forward and that in the next election to the Seanad, so far as the university seats were concerned, there would be a wider pool of graduates. Within a year we had a second debate. This time the Minister had pulled in his horns enormously. He was much more cautious about making predictions about whether and when there would be change. Now in a way that is laughable the Minister of State, Deputy Peter Power - I mean no disrespect to him as he is a man of accomplishment and ability, but he is not the Minister in charge - has been sent to tell us the bad news that there will be no progress made.