John Crown (Independent)

The fundamental reform that is required if our country is to be fixed, if we are to secure proper, competent, technically skilled government which is answerable to the people, is in respect of how we elect people to the more powerful House of Parliament, which is the Dáil. We should invite the Taoiseach to the Chamber to outline his intentions in regard to the future of this House and to indicate whether he is at all amenable to the notion of a broader debate on fundamental reform of our Constitution in order to ensure we have a Parliament more in tune with modern requirements. My great fear is that we should have a referendum which merely asks voters to answer "Yes" or "No" to the question of whether the Seanad should be abolished, to be held at the same time as a referendum to enshrine children's rights. Given the level of competence which has recently been shown in handling referenda, we may well end up abolishing children and enshrining the rights of the Seanad.