Feargal Quinn (Independent)

Earlier Senator Alex White suggested that when the House returned, the first item on the agenda should be reform of the Seanad. How will we earn the reputation the House deserves but which we have not earned recently? We do not have to wait until the Seanad returns. The Constitution provides that this Seanad will continue for another 90 days. One of the reasons for the call to abolish the Seanad is that it is too costly. I suggest Senators who do not come to work for the next 90 days should not take their salary. The alternative is that there is work to be done. Can the Leader tell Members that we will continue to work here? I am told that one of the reasons we did not work in the past was that many Senators are out electioneering and do not want to come in here, nor do Ministers. We really cannot accept a criticism like that in the future.

There is a number of Bills to be dealt with. Senator Boyle referred to one of them, namely, the Construction Contracts Bill 2010. That Bill can be passed in this House. As far as I know, there is almost no opposition to it. It will be ready to go. We can hand it over to the new Dáil when it comes back and we do not even have to wait. I urge the Leader to have that meeting sometime next week. There is no reason we should not have it and I believe it will be accepted. It will do two things. It will show that we in the Seanad are still working and it will show the nation that we have legislation that will improve the well-being of many people if we can manage to make it work. It has the support of all sides of the House. This Bill is only one of several that should be passed, and I urge the Leader to find time to do so in the next week or two.