Brian Lenihan Jnr (Dublin West, Fianna Fail)

There have been many reports down the years but no action. Seanad reform will now take place and the public will not tolerate a party which enters government and dishonours its word on this particular subject. That is my view and it is something that faces us all. I have commented on this in recent days when I was free to comment on a leadership issue. The House will have to be reconstituted. It may have to be made smaller but it must continue as an important dimension of our Constitution, which provides a reflective capacity for legislation.

With regard to the Bill, I thank all Senators for their co-operation. I also thank my staff in the Department. They have worked incredibly hard in recent years. There are different branches in the Department. Some officials work on tax, some on banking and some on expenditure but all of them have worked extraordinarily hard in recent years. I have noticed a note of criticism entering public debate about the Department of Finance and the officers of the Department such that somehow they are unworthy of the positions they occupy or that they do not perform their duties with the diligence one would expect of public servants. That has not been my experience. They work extraordinarily hard. They have had to work under more pressure than even those of us in public life who know the pressures that apply to Ministers and Oireachtas Members. The pressures exerted on those men and women in recent years have been extraordinary because of the economic collapse which came upon us in summer 2008 and the necessary and essential responses that were required of the Government to deal with that. I pay tribute to them as well.

I do not want to enter into political debate because, at this stage of the proceedings, it is my understanding that it is not time for such debate. There will be plenty of scope for political debate in the weeks ahead. The Seanad will continue to operate for 90 days and I expect it will continue to have a number of important functions to perform in regard to legislation. I have raised the issue with Senator Quinn as to whether we can deal with the Construction Contracts Bill 2010 after the election because it is a matter I am anxious to see expedited. There will have to be all-party agreement on that because, following the poll, it would not be appropriate for the Government to convene the Seanad to consider a Bill. However, it is worth reflecting on and I am willing to do that in the interim period. If this commanded all-party agreement in the House, it would result in a Bill being recommended to the Dáil.

The incoming Government will have a number of urgent measures to address because we are bound by the EU-IMF programme. Legislative measures related to the banks will have to be adopted and they will be the first items of business for the next Government and the outgoing Seanad will necessarily have to deal with them within the 90-day period. This is, therefore, not the death knell of the Seanad, though it may be the death knell for Senator Alex White if he is successful in his contest for a seat in the Dáil. I was amused at his description of Dublin South. I have always called Dublin South, Dublin South-East and Dún Laoghaire the Bermuda Triangle of Irish politics because political aircraft seem to take off and disappear there at very regular intervals.

I might have an opportunity to contribute in the Seanad on one more occasion but, lest I do not, I thank Senators for their co-operation generally during my time in office in the Departments of Justice, Equality and Law Reform and Finance. I have always found their contributions lively and balanced. I saw an outbreak of political debate developing this evening. Senator Twomey is entitled to that at the end and so am I.