Darragh O'Brien (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I will give the Minister of State a direct answer, which is more than what his Department has given me about the code of conduct on mortgage arrears. The abolition of the Seanad was proposed by my party in the context of overall Dáil reform, something with which I said at the time I did not agree. That is not our party policy now. It is the Minister of State's policy. I say to the Minister of State directly, as leader of the Fianna Fáil group in the Seanad, that it is not Fianna Fáil Party policy to abolish the Seanad and we will vigorously oppose the abolition of the Seanad.

Is it the case that the Minister will hold this referendum before the budget this year? Does he know that? I bet the Minister will do that. He will have this fake campaign of reform during which people will be told to trundle out on RTE, TV3 and on radio and be their master's voice about the way the Taoiseach is a reforming Taoiseach and this is a reforming Government when we all know that is nonsense. The Government is trying to hoodwink the people by diverting them from the decisions it will be taking in the budget in early October. If the Government wants to have a referendum, why not have it after the budget? Allow us debate the budget and allow the people see what it is proposing in the budget. It should not use this mock reform as cover for the decisions it will make at budget time.

I am always grateful that the Minister of State participates in debates. He is a former Senator, and he was an effective Senator. I do not believe he agrees with the abolition of the Seanad, and most of his colleagues do not with agree with it. I have not met a Government Senator who agrees with its abolition, yet all of them vote for it on the basis that the people have to have their say. That is fine, but when will take place? Will the referendum be held before the budget? Will the Minister of State give me the date or will he have a rushed two to three week campaign? That is what he intends to do. Have the days that the Government and groups of civil servants spent putting together this Bill been useful? Is that time best spent for this Government? Would its time not be better spent trying to fix some of the problems it faces, some it inherited but others it created, and some of which have got more serious such as the worsening mortgage arrears crisis? Will it even allow a debate in this House on issues like that?

We will have other items to raise with the Minister of State but I ask him, in a non-partisan way, to look at the record of this Seanad so far and what has been done by way of debate, amendments to legislation and Bills being proposed. Excellent work has been done here, and I say that as someone who has served in both Houses. I am incredibly proud to serve as a Member in this Seanad and I have no doubt that if a truthful campaign is allowed happen and if enough time is given to that campaign, this will not be the last Seanad. I hope the Taoiseach, on his personal crusade, will be sent away with his tail between his legs on this issue because he has got it incredibly wrong, and I believe he knows that. If the Government holds this referendum before the budget, it will be an opportunity for the people to give it a bloody nose. I will be asking everyone in my area to oppose this referendum and send a clear signal to the Government that the electorate is not happy with the road it is taking on many issues. I look forward to responses to those questions.