Brian Ó Domhnaill (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

This is a very important section of the legislation. I am glad that Senator Norris and his colleagues have drawn our attention to that fact. This relates to the nuts of the debate, which is effectively a total redrawing of the Constitution. The former Tánaiste, Michael McDowell, is on record as saying that it would be easier for the Government to rewrite the Constitution than to start butchering it in the manner in which it is proposing given that Seanad Éireann is referred to so many times in the Constitution. I think it is referred to something like 40 times.

What appears to be referred to in section 5 is further referred to in section 3, which is reducing the reference to the Oireachtas as just the President and the Dáil. I note that the Oireachtas Library and Research Service, which is an independent section of the Houses of the Oireachtas, has raised a concern in respect of section 3.