Darragh O'Brien (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

Another aspect of more recent Seanaid has been the appointment of people involved in the Northern Ireland peace process by successive taoisigh. I think of Members such as Seamus Mallon, Bríd Rogers and Gordon Wilson. Perhaps this is a practice that should be re-established because I have no doubt that we will have future Seanaid and that Seanad Éireann will survive.

The reformed Seanad after 1937, with the same abiding principles as the First Seanad, sought to provide a place for independent voices to discuss and debate, to propose and amend, to support and criticise legislation brought to this House or, as is often the case, legislation originating in this House. It is not reported that more than 30% of all legislation initiated in the Oireachtas has started here in successive Seanaid, mostly in the spirit of bipartisanship, collegiality and co-operation. A former critic of this House, Michael McDowell, stated that these principles and this spirit made the Seanad an institution worth keeping. His experience as Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform, informed his statement that "the better legislative work by far was done in the Seanad". He went on to state: "I also found that the practice of initiating major reforming legislation in the Seanad and then bringing it to the Dáil frequently had the effect of defusing the adversarial atmosphere in the Dáil because many of the more contentious issues had either been explained or resolved in an amicable way in the Seanad."

I have served in both Houses - I served in the previous Dáil and am now honoured to serve here on the Seanad's 90th anniversary. Oireachtas reform will not be achieved through abolition. Parliamentary reform should encompass all aspects and all pillars of the Oireachtas, including the Executive, the Dáil, Seanad and the President. Singling out the Seanad as only area in which reform should happen will not solve that problem. That will be a debate for another day. It is never too late for any Government to look back and see the merit of that argument. If we had a referendum on the Dáil, I have a feeling it would also be abolished.

I commend the Cathaoirleach and the Leader, specifically, along with the group leaders and other colleagues, on the many changes that have been initiated in this House in the past 18 or 19 months. They were very important changes, as the Leader, Senator Maurice Hayes, mentioned. There is certainly more we can do-----