Ann Ormonde (Fianna Fail)

I congratulate Senator Darragh O'Brien. I know from listening to him and having observed his political career to date that his will be a success story. I wish him the best of luck.

I congratulate all the Senators who were elected to the Dáil and whom I loved looking at across the floor in the last session. I recall all the times we had a flip-flop across the floor. I miss the Senators' faces and wish them well. I am delighted to see they have moved to better places.

I beg of the Leader of the next Seanad not to seek the abolition of the House. We had not really had a discussion on reform. I am a reformist. We can talk about the selection and election procedures. All these matters have never been aired. There is a mood for change and this has been aired already. Let us start in this Chamber. What is wrong with having career Senators in addition to using the Seanad as a respite centre for those who stay for a short time and then move on? I ask the new Leader not to allow our Seanad to be treated as proposed. There is room for wisdom and experience and for young people entering politics. It would be a shame to simply put a pen to paper to abolish the Seanad without having any real discussion. That is not the way I think. I ask the Leader of the future Seanad to please put this in writing and ensure we have many discussions. Let us start from today. I do not know whether I will be returned but I hope to be to continue to work in every way I can to ensure we do not abolish the Seanad. I want the next Leader-----