Catherine Noone (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I join with colleagues on their comments on today’s press release on the abolition of the Seanad from the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation, Deputy Bruton. The House has well discussed the cheap shot that it is to cut off one third of the Oireachtas and call it political reform. My views on this are well documented.

I also join with other speakers in agreeing this press release is a populist move in that it tugs at people’s heart strings by raising funding for disability and such matters alongside the Seanad’s abolition. Of course, money is important in the economy, particularly considering the state it is in now.

However, from another angle, we have to look at this release as being somewhat clever-----