Sean Barrett (Independent)

I welcome the Minister and thank him for his presence. In many ways, this is an inspired Bill. What we are doing is getting to the person in Belmullet, the high unemployment zones in Limerick that we discussed with the Minister for Finance last week, or even in Knocktopher in the constituency of the Minister. Getting directly to the citizen through the electoral register is important because one of the reasons we are in difficulty is policy making is dominated by pressure groups, interest groups and lobbyists. One might say we have an insider-outsider model and the Bill gives the outsiders a chance to receive a letter from the Taoiseach, the Tánaiste or the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government asking them what they would like to see done in the country on their behalf. That would have an inspiring effect on people finally asked to contribute. It is a very good idea to base it on the electoral register as it will reach everyone who votes. That is the right way to proceed as it gives equal opportunity to all citizens within a culture in which the democratic voice is bypassed through interest and lobby groups. The ones who were in Government Buildings on 29 and 30 September 2008, in particular, have a lot to answer for.

We have in the Central Statistics Office, for which the Chief Whip, the Minister of State, Deputy Paul Kehoe, has responsibility, the skills to undertake the sampling. The CSO does it for the household budget survey and it might reduce the burden rather than have the work done outside by expensive consultants. One concern is that if the lists are known, the lobby groups I am trying to keep out will go to the man at the end of a peninsula near Belmullet and tell him that he should say this and that. We want to get people's own views. I have an open mind as to whether the list of people chosen should be kept secret from lobby groups. This is a fantastic day for democracy as it goes right to where the people are to ask them to help the Government to get the country back to where it was before the bank rescue in 2008 and the IMF rescue in 2010. Governance in this country did not work and we must change it. The Minister proposes to involve citizens directly for the first time. In order to do this he must amend legislation dating back to the foundation of the State. This is a great step forward and I welcome it wholeheartedly.