Paul Bradford (Fine Gael)

I will attempt to restrain myself on the issue of Seanad reform. I welcome Senator Mullen's contribution and it would be appropriate to have a lengthy and comprehensive debate in the House on political reform. I wish it were as simple as abolishing the Seanad but we all know political reform is about the Dáil, the electoral system, local authorities, our system of government, Dáil questions and no answers, Seanad adjournments and how we practise politics in this country. If it was as simple as abolishing the Seanad it would have been done long ago. Our broken economy and country, which stems from broken politics, needs a response by way of a full and lengthy debate on political reform. At some stage we will have a referendum on the future of the Seanad, not its saving or abolition. We will have to respect the decision of the Irish public.

My other request of the Leader is that he would try to arrange that the Minister for Health would come into the House to discuss setting up an expert group to deal with the ABC ruling of the European Court of Human Rights. We are all aware of the fact that the issue of abortion is politically sensitive and arising from the ruling the Government is obliged to respond by some mechanism. The largest expert group on this subject in the country is the Irish people. People elected to this and the Lower House have a great deal of communication with their constituents on this subject. I would like a political input at this proposed table of expertise. I respect that experts have expertise, but they also have prejudices. There should be a political input to the debate, because it is a matter which concerns elected Members of both Houses. It should be dealt with in the final phase by politics and politicians, not by experts. I hope the Minister will facilitate us by attending a debate in the House, and perhaps in the other House, where he can hear the political thinking on the issue before he establishes an expert group.