Maurice Cummins (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I compliment Senator John Crown on initiating this Bill. I understand we will have another comprehensive piece of legislation before the House on this issue fairly soon. It is a pity that the sponsors of these Bills could not have got together and produced a joint Bill that would bring everybody in the House behind them. However, that is not what we have.

The Government's stance is very clear - we will have a referendum. I understand the legislation will be brought before us next month and that we will have a referendum in the autumn - in October or November. The Government's stance is that it will canvass for the abolition of the Seanad and that if the people decide they want to retain it, there will be plenty of time at that stage to deal with the issue of reform. Personally, I do not agree with that principle. We should put before the people what we believe in and what a new Seanad should contain.

The major part of the contents of the reports on Seanad reform deals with how the Seanad is elected. If the people decide to retain the Seanad, we must deal, first, with how the Seanad is elected. The Bill proposes that the people should have a say. I agree totally with the principle that the people should elect the Members of Seanad Éireann. The Seanad has been classified as an elitist Chamber, mainly because of how Members are elected. I believe strongly in the institutions of the State. Since I entered politics many moons ago, it has always been my opinion that Members should protect and support them and that remains my opinion.

I appeal to Senator John Crown not to divide on this matter tonight. The Government has introduced 92 Bills in the past two years, 35 of which were initiated in this House. This excludes all of the laudable Private Members Bills introduced here. While it is not Government policy, the House does and should have a future. I appeal to the Senator not to call a division on the issue. Perhaps we might come together to see how we can deal properly with it.