Niall Ó Brolcháin (Green Party)

Like other Senators, I wish everybody well. I support what Senator Dearey said on climate change. I will not repeat what he said, but it is an issue of great importance. Many Senators raised the issue of the sale of State assets. Many lessons could be learned from the way Ms Margaret Thatcher went about matters and how her country sacrificed long term sustainability for short term gain. We should learn the lesson from that before we start to sell our State assets. It is crucial for the next Seanad to debate that issue.

Senator Ormonde raised the issue of reform of the Seanad and political reform in general. There has been much discussion, particularly with regard to the debate on the NUI element of the Seanad election, on the sort of political reform that should take place. Some principles have been put forward and many people have suggested that Seanad elections should take place on the same day as the general election to prevent people who decide to stand in the general election and who fail to get elected from then deciding to go forward for the Seanad. I am one of those who has done this, but I agree it would be good to be forced to choose which House to stand for. It is also a good idea that everybody on the electoral register would have some form of vote for the Seanad. Senator Boyle said we should never again have a Seanad election that takes place in the same manner as this current one. I agree fully on that and there seems to be consensus on the issue.

I would also like to see the Seanad as a House without Whips. Many other Senators would also like that. We have very good debates in the House. However, the way the panels are put together is outdated. Many people would like to see the Taoiseach's nominees being done away with, not because of the current situation-----