Joe O'Toole (Independent)

I support the points offered in congratulating our colleagues elected to the other House. People often speak about Senators being elected to the Dáil. The vast majority of the people elected to the Dáil from this House are people who would have worked diligently as Senators in here and in their constituency. I do not have a problem with Senators being elected to the Dáil but when in the Seanad, they should make a contribution. I believe those who were elected to the Dáil did so. I welcome my near neighbour, Senator Darragh O'Brien, to the House, although I will have some unkind things to say about his party leader.

I ask the Leader to consider arranging an Adjournment debate on an issue the House needs to discuss. Not only is Ireland experiencing a financial recession but it is also in the midst of a recession in democracy. I want someone to offer a viewpoint on this matter. Local government has been completely emasculated since 1977 and no longer enjoys public trust or confidence. In addition, the Seanad, which was intended in the Constitution to be the voice of the people, is about to be rubbed off the face of the earth. Has the leader of the Fianna Fáil Party experienced an irony bypass in this respect? Only two weeks ago he spoke about abolishing the Seanad yet this week he has spoken of the importance of getting good people into this House. It is difficult to accept this type of thinking. While there is nothing wrong with wishing to have good people in the Seanad, it is impossible to reconcile this view with Deputy Martin's statement that the House should be abolished. As the Cathaoirleach will soon no longer be involved in the House, he will be able to take an independent view on some of the matters I raise.

I, too, wish the new Government well. I have referred to local government and the Seanad. While reducing the number of Dáil Deputies by 40 may sound like a great idea, it would, if implemented, result in fewer people maintaining contact with the political system. The idea of keeping Deputies in Dublin for five days each week to ensure they do not get near their constituents is absolutely daft. It will never affect me.

Someone should offer a view on the proposals we have heard and carry out quality audits on them. The proposal to remove Ministers from the Dáil and make them answerable to some other power is equally bad. Let us examine what is taking place in politics because we have a democracy in recession. We are cutting back on many important things without first debating them. Media commentators are getting away with murder.

I want someone to do a quality audit on all the daft proposals seeking to row back on hard fought constitutional matters which have served members of the public. One hears that we should reduce the size of the Dáil because we do not like it but no one tells us how the House would work better. It is also proposed that people who are not part of the Dáil should run the country because we do not like how Cabinet works. These are regressive proposals. The same arguments were made when the Health Service Executive was established and how long will it last?

We need political answerability at all levels, whether in local government, the Seanad or the Dáil. Members should examine the proposals that have been made and should not be afraid to speak up and ask that they be reconsidered. I appeal to the incoming Government to make haste slowly on political reform. People should be afraid if we give a free run to all sorts of daft, untried, untested and unaudited proposals on the political structure.