Katherine Zappone (Independent) | Oireachtas source

It is great to be back in session with all of my honourable and eloquent colleagues. As Members of Seanad Éireann, we hold a significant responsibility - some Members have referred to this - to work side-by-side with the Government and Dáil Éireann to provide the laws, policies, ideas and programmes that will generate new hope and confidence for the people to grow the economy in an equitable manner and face with a sense of urgency the many social and ethical issues of our time. The Taoiseach and his Ministers, while apparently committed to abolishing one of the institutions of governance in the State, nevertheless have a responsibility to ensure the people get value for money by utilising this Chamber as much as possible to deliberate on the most creative and robust ideas to transform Ireland. That is why it is great to hear that the Leader has already organised three debates, among many others, especially on the financial front. Will he arrange as part of one of the budgetary debates for a member of the Economic Management Council to examine the policies for growth that it hopes and intends will become integral to the upcoming budget?

In his book, End This Depression Now!- some of my light summer reading - Professor Paul Krugman, a Nobel Prize-winning economist, outlines extensive economic research that demonstrates how austerity policies in advanced countries were followed by economic contraction and higher unemployment. While we are all painfully aware of the requirements of the bailout programme for the upcoming budget, this does not relinquish the Government of its responsibility to bring forward a number of ideas for a fiscal stimulus to add jobs to the economy, encourage and support financially a creative entrepreneurial spirit and lead us beyond the dominant negative culture in banks and financial institutions which is strangling opportunities for growth.

I ask the Leader to confirm the date on which the Minister for Social Protection will come to this Chamber for a debate on the long overdue gender recognition legislation. I will conclude by asking him about political reform. Will he raise with the Taoiseach the question of when the chair of the constitutional convention will be appointed? When the Government came to power, it promised fundamental reform. Although the agenda for the convention is a considerably constricted version of what was originally indicated, it continues to offer great potential for people and politicians to work together to reignite this living document. Why is it taking the Government so long to made good on this promise?