Paul Bradford (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

If we in this House do not believe in the necessity for a second Chamber why should the people? This is a truly important test of what we believe as politicians and what value we place not on ourselves but on the work of all the generations who have worked here, from Yeats, to Hyde, to Robinson, FitzGerald, Dooge and Wilson. Do we value those people's traditions and work? I certainly do. I believe new generations of those people can emerge in the unique political place which is Seanad Éireann.

I regret to say that this call to scrap the Seanad is nothing but simplistic politics. I hope that we are mature enough this evening not to divide in the normal silly political fashion that is more in line with the politics of the other House. I ask Senator Crown to park adjudication on his proposal. The other Bill will come before us soon. Let us consider the two Bills, debate them and then decide how best to use this House and our votes to protect Irish democracy because we need more political questioning, more people involved in the political process and more debates not fewer. I thank Senator Crown for bringing us to this point but I hope that he will not cause us to divide politically on this matter.