Martin McAleese (Independent)

A Chathaoirligh, it is a privilege to contribute to the work of this Chamber and I thank the Taoiseach for the opportunity to allow me to do so. I thank the Seanad staff for their assistance to newcomers like me in recent weeks. I offer my best wishes to all members of the Seanad and hope this Chamber's connection with the people and its contribution to their welfare will be enhanced by what is said and what is done in the name of this Seanad.

I am sure that nobody would wish this Seanad to endlessly debate its own future. It would be wiser, would it not, to let the people debate the future of the Seanad and let the Seanad debate the future of the people, the future of our country?

For as long as this Seanad endures it has the potential to be much more than an enclosed space where Senators talk to each other, but rather an open space where we draw into official public discourse, those who in these times of trial are sustaining family and community life, progressing our civic society, generating business and commerce, evolving our intellectual and cultural life and instituting the fresh thinking which can help us solve our many problems and evolve models of best practice. This Chamber can be a source of encouragement to all those in positions of leadership from street level right up to national level and in all spheres of influence so that every single ounce of energy is harnessed to guide and drive us through this very exacting period of our history.

The Seanad is a ready-made platform for regular public discourse with authoritative people invited here from all walks of life, whose experiences places them well to help us frame seminal formative and pioneering debates. I was delighted to hear the Leader support such an initiative last Tuesday. Nowhere is the transformative power of dialogue and ideas more evident than in the peace process. The growing harmony now being experienced most be more enduring than mere respite and I urge all those not yet engaged with the peace process simply to think again. This Chamber can be a pivotal host of regular, respectful North-South interchange.

We face a decade of sensitive centuries which with good forward planning could considerably consolidate peace on our island and we can play an important role in developing the peace dividend in terms of all island trade, commerce, shared services and collaborative initiatives, which promote mutual prosperity on the island.

I look forward with enthusiasm to working with colleagues in the Seanad to make this Chamber a place to which Irish citizens look for inspiration, reassurance, and encouragement. We are custodians of the trust of a good and great people. It is up to us by our actions as well as our words to make the mission of the Seanad relevant to their lives, their needs, their dreams and our Ireland.