Seanad debates

Wednesday, 1 June 2011

3:00 pm

Photo of Mark DalyMark Daly (Fianna Fail)

As the Leader brought up the issue of Seanad reform, I ask whether such reform will be comprehensive and will it simply be about Seanad reform? When the issue is being debated in this Chamber, will the debate be about legislators legislating to pre-empt disaster, rather than talking about it after the event? In essence, that will be the benchmark. Reform of this House, the Dáil and the Government will be benchmarked against a single issue, namely, whether it will prevent the kind of catastrophe in which we find ourselves at present. Unless it does so, it does not constitute reform of these Houses but merely a papering over of the cracks. I commend the Taoiseach on his nominees. It is welcome that it took him four weeks to nominate them, because although choosing from 4.42 million people is no easy task, he appears to have found some extraordinary individuals who undoubtedly will make an enormous contribution to this House.

Today's newspapers mentioned a report from the World Health Organization on mobile telephones and the danger to children. In the last Seanad, Members from this side of the House published a Mobile Phone Radiation Warning Bill, which proposed that a warning label be put on all mobile telephones. I note the European Environmental Agency proposed the precautionary principle and that it took 47 years to prove that tobacco caused cancer. Moreover, a labour court in Italy gave compensation to an employee because he was using mobile telephones as part of his work.

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