Paschal Mooney (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Leas-Chathaoirleach for this rather unexpected opportunity.

Like everybody else I commend our colleagues, both inside and outside the House, for compiling the report, particularly Senators Zappone and Quinn. I am concerned that a group of Senators presenting a case for the retention of the Seanad would not necessarily play well with the general public. I would like to see a wider cohort of people in civil society. I am praying that a bunch of former attorneys general will come together at short notice as they did on a previous occasion to scupper a Government proposed referendum by putting forward a cogent argument. We already have one former Attorney General in our group and I would like to see more of civil society engaging. That is my main concern.

It has been pointed out that we cannot have options in a proposed referendum and that will make it exceptionally difficult. The public are not necessarily apathetic towards the House but they have no empathy for it. They do not understand it. They do not get any information on how it functions. Media coverage of it - Senator Norris has detailed it rather well - is usually negative. If one cannot empathise with something or understand it then one does not care what happens to it. Politicians are viewed with a somewhat jaundiced eye at present. One only has to witness the unfortunate scenes that took place near the home town of the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government last weekend. It brought home to people the low estimation that the general public reserve for politicians. If a referendum is proposed in the current climate of austerity and economic deprivation, and presented as a cost-saving measure with no consequence for society or democracy, then I am fearful of the outcome.

Having said that there is a case to be made. One saving grace is that if and when the referendum is put before the people, there will be a necessity for a referendum commission that is mandated by law to ensure that people are given both sides of the argument. It will be an independently-based argument to justify the retention of the Seanad. All is not lost. It goes without saying that we all favour reform. We are cluttered with-----