John Crown (Independent) | Oireachtas source

It very hard for me to escape the conclusion that in opposing this legislation so single-mindedly, with such tunnel vision and without allowing any discussion of alternatives, the Taoiseach is thinking of this as a pre-election promise he can actually keep.

I have been asked to wait until some other Bill comes through and gently rapped on the knuckles for not collaborating with certain Senators on the other Bill. I have spoken widely to Members of this House about this Bill in recent days. The consensus seems to be that they want to support it, but they are not being allowed to do so. The word has come down from on high that they cannot support it.

One party has been told to be quiet and not support it, while it is very obvious that the other is not supporting it. Therefore, I do not believe the portents are particularly good that another Bill will come through that will receive more support than mine or that a hybrid, Frankenstein-like synthesis of the two Bills would receive support. I had a slight objection when I heard about the other initiative because it was very much a "save the Seanad" initiative. That is not what I am trying to do. I am trying to reform Parliament and ensure that within the constraints of the Constitution, with the limited powers we have in this House, we would have one Chamber elected by all citizens which would be focused not on local issues but national ones.

I am conflicted as to what to do in the next two minutes because a part of me thinks that, unlike others, when I ran for this House and faced an electorate, the first thing I said I would do was put a reform or abolition proposal to the people. I am told that if I do that, it will die. However, we cannot move it any further today. There are those who would like to support the Bill and who, if given the opportunity to work the room and make the backroom deals, would be able to change it. I will grudgingly not push it to a vote tonight. I would like the Bill to remain on the Order Paper, but I am not consigning it to an endless stay in limbo. I will keep my eye on it and at some stage in the near future Members will get used to nearly daily calls for an amendment.