Feargal Quinn (Independent) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the Minister to the House. I really appreciate him coming here. This is a very important Bill for this House and for the people of Ireland. Last Sunday was the 97th anniversary of the execution of James Connolly and Seán Mac Diarmada. They were the last of the leaders to be executed. They were identified because they had signed the Proclamation, from which I would like to quote. The Proclamation "guarantees religious and civil liberty, equal rights and equal opportunities to all its citizens" and envisages a system of government "representative of the whole people of Ireland and elected by the suffrages of all her men and women". It is something we have all aspired to over the years. We have looked back on those wonderful words. We have had a Government here since 1922. We have been successful in making our way.

I have 16 grandchildren and I would like to think that, in the years to come, they will be living in an Ireland built on similar foundations. I would worry if I thought that, in the years ahead, they will be in an Ireland where part of the foundations we have built for them, that have been there since 1937, have been damaged in some form or other. We should tamper with the existing three Houses - the Presidency, the Dáil and the Seanad - with great care.

We should be very careful. The abolition of the Seanad would remove one of the pillars of our system of government. I believe this Seanad Bill will enshrine in our democracy a guarantee for the future of this nation. This is not a time for political posturing. It is a time for all of us who care deeply about Irish democracy to seriously reflect on what the closure of the Seanad would actually mean in our public life. If this shocking eventuality comes to pass, it is highly unlikely that the people will ever again be given the opportunity to reverse that decision. Some people beyond this Chamber might well ask, "Why should we care?", but the lesson of the crisis in our public finances is that ill-considered measures and bad political choices can impinge on our national finances, affecting the prosperity and security of every family in our country, as we have seen.

Nobody is disputing the fact that our political system needs reform, but it has to be the right reform. The Seanad is not perfect and I believe it needs to change, but it is not a credible argument to suggest that meaningful political reform amounts to consigning the Seanad to the dustbin of history while leaving all power in the hands of an unreformed Dáil. I mean this very seriously and I am worried about the loss of democracy we would have. What is needed is real change in the way both Houses of the Oireachtas do their business, not the rash closure of either democratic forum. This generation needs to be careful that we are not hoodwinked into getting rid of vital constitutional safeguards for which future generations may yet have a real democratic need. I strongly believe that the universal demand for political reform in Ireland can be best delivered as part of a series of measures that include a comprehensively reformed Seanad. This work could commence almost immediately by passing this Bill.

The Bill is about giving all Irish people a stake in the Seanad's future. Its provisions arise from a long and detailed consultation process as well as the “Open Seanad Éireann, Don’t Close it” consultation paper that was published six months ago. The Bill is informed by that process and the input and submissions of many people. It recognises that a reformed Seanad can enhance our democracy and make a real contribution to the challenges facing our country. Among the core democratic values which make up this Bill, and which will be reflected in the new Seanad, is that of "one citizen, one vote", not "two votes", as some have at the moment - some could even have more than two votes - as well as greater gender balance, a voice for Northern Ireland the diaspora, a space for new voices and a democratic safeguard protecting our EU interests.

This country needs enhanced democracy, not less democracy, and the recent economic collapse underlines this. The abolition of the Seanad is not the solution. This Bill fundamentally opens up our national Parliament and will make it more efficient, accountable, and, I believe, much more constructive. This is a new foundation for the better type of politics that is now required, more than ever, to get our security back.

I would have liked to make many other points. As Senator Zappone said, I was to give some description of the detail of the Bill but I am afraid I have wasted my time not giving the details. However, the details of what we can do are in the Bill. It is not just a question of voting but of giving the vote to others who do not have votes at present. My parents came from Northern Ireland. On the basis of our Bill, people in Northern Ireland will get a vote, no matter what their political allegiance is. Those who left Ireland recently because of emigration and who have an Irish passport, anywhere around the world, will have a vote in the new Seanad. I believe it will be much more effective and democratic. It will be a Seanad we will be proud to look back on in later years. In the Bill, we have also shown the extra work we can do in this House. This House is capable of doing a huge amount more, whether it is to do with Europe, inquiries or otherwise. I believe this Bill is worthy of support.