Katherine Zappone (Independent)

I move:

That Seanad Éireann, in light of the commitment in the programme for Government to overhaul the way politics and Government works, recognises the need for change in how it conducts its business and agrees to:

— put in place arrangements so that this House can engage directly with well-informed citizens and residents from all walks of life whose experience and expertise can contribute to debates on issues of public importance thereby adding considerable value to our work as legislators;

— invite to the floor of Seanad Éireann, on a case by case and ongoing basis, appropriate leaders and representatives of civic life who have a significant contribution to make to the deliberations of this House; and

— include in these arrangements the hosting of respectful North-South dialogue that consolidates the peace process in Northern Ireland, develops a peace dividend for all communities affected by the conflict, deepens cross-Border relationships and promotes a shared approach to the significant centenaries that will arise in the next decade.

The Independent Group puts forward this motion for the 24th Seanad which relates to the manner in which some aspects of business could be conducted in the House. The programme for Government commits to overhauling the way politics and Government works, and this is the context of the motion. We believe acceptance of the motion will further both the relevance and rightness of what we do.

The motion seeks agreement on three actions. The first is to arrange the direct engagement of the House with informed citizens and residents because they have value to add to our work as legislators. They could brief the Seanad about the efforts they are making to solve problems and to make business, family, cultural and community life as good as they can be.

Our second proposal is to invite appropriate leaders and representatives of civic life to the Seanad floor to participate in our deliberations. Third, we propose to host respectful North-South dialogue as part of these arrangements in order to support the consolidation of the peace process in Northern Ireland.

As proposer of the motion, I will now set out our rationale for supporting it, after which my colleague, Senator Mac Conghail, will second the motion in light of his distinctive experiences and reflections. First, these proposals will improve the quality and ethical tenor of our legislative scrutiny. We wish to open our space to others because, by this simple act, we increase our connection to the people. Amartya Sen, a Nobel laureate, political philosopher and global economist, writes extensively about the proper conduct of public affairs. In his latest book, The Idea of Justice, he argues that the pronouncement of lawmakers must survive open and informed scrutiny and that we should come to issues with an open impartiality in order that we can take part in an interactive process of critical scrutiny, open to arguments from others and sensitive to the relevant information that can be obtained.

By attentively listening to the diverse perspectives of future guests there is the potential that they will shape and inform our own perspectives and judgments and, in certain cases, influence the outcomes of our deliberations. The Seanad should also take the courageous decision to convene outside the confines of this Chamber. We could take the Seanad to the people and offer an opportunity for communities to explain and showcase their activities in the comfort of their local halls and community centres. There could indeed be rich conversations through such a unique and real connection.

Second, the actions we propose push out the boundaries of how we can practise democracy. These boundaries must be widened if we are to rebuild Ireland. We have just heard some excellent recommendations in the course of the last debate in terms of how necessary it is to rebuild this country. The 2004 report on Seanad reform recommends a "formal system" of public consultation to be put in place to allow for "consultation with interested groups and individuals early in the legislative process". The report correctly notes that this would give real meaning to the concept of participative democracy. Our motion offers resonance with these views, but it goes one step further into the realm of deliberative democracy, a form of democracy in which public deliberation is central to legitimate law-making. Public deliberation is a process of thoughtfully weighing options, discussing and considering all sides of an issue with the public prior to making judgment, law or policy. Jürgen Habermas, a prominent proponent of this type of democracy, speaks often of the need for communicative competence in such public deliberations.

A third consideration is how this type of politics can move us beyond interest-driven groups lobbying for resources or competing for advantages towards a practice of fair exchange between diverse perspectives in order to arrive at right and just conclusions. However, the justice of these decisions depends on mechanisms which open up decision-making assemblies so that a diversity of voices is heard and in order that those affected by the decisions get the chance to have their voices heard and to agree or disagree with the decision-makers. Consequently, our motion advocates genuine exchange as distinct from a traditional form of consultation between citizens, residents and lawmakers.

This is the rationale for putting forward the specific recommendation that appropriate leaders and representatives of civic life come to the floor of Seanad Éireann, to the whole assembly of Senators, in addition to inviting them to our community committees. My colleague, Senator McAleese, has already referred to the transformative power of dialogue and ideas, with special reference to consolidating the peace process in Northern Ireland. We wish to ensure that such power is available to us in this Chamber. Senator McAleese will share more of his thoughts in this regard presently. It is for these reasons that I commend the motion to the House.