Seanad debates

Wednesday, 20 June 2012

3:00 pm

Photo of Darragh O'BrienDarragh O'Brien (Fianna Fail)

This is happening at a time when we have serious issues to debate. For example, the next time the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government will be in this House, he will be considering closing down town councils. Tomorrow, we will have An Bille Gaeltachta 2012, which will remove the rights of people in Gaeltacht regions to elect their own representatives. We have the situation now where the Government wants to abolish the Seanad, but it does not even want discussion on this in the constitutional convention. The two issues the Government wants discussed in the constitutional convention, the reduction of the voting age from 18 to 17 and the reduction of the presidential term from seven years to five years, could be done in a week. I see no reason for 100 people to be brought together to discuss that. What is the point? This is window-dressing, just like the window-dressing brought forward when the Government apparently reformed the Oireachtas committees.

Comments

No comments

Log in or join to post a public comment.