Paul Bradford (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

Major questions of democracy, representation and checks and balances face us in the referendum and I look forward to engaging in that debate. Our Seanad is not perfect - neither are our politics - but this proposal before us for a rushed referendum, when the questions have not been deliberated in full, is not the best way of conducting our parliamentary or political business.

Sometimes we have to remove ourselves from the realms of reality if we want to ignore fact.

In my party we all know the genesis of this proposal, the policy of spring 2009 and that of summer and early autumn 2009. We all know why there was such an about-turn. If people want to hear the dates of meetings, who was present and when, and the opinion polls that would happen the following Monday and Tuesday, it could bring an interesting texture to the forthcoming debate. I presume we will have a referendum in October and we must put our best foot forward not just for ourselves but on behalf of this House, which has served our nation well. We are not just talking about getting rid of 60 Senators, as that is irrelevant, but we are talking about demolishing one third of the Oireachtas. We are talking about changing the manner in which a President of Ireland can be dismissed, how a judge can be run from office and how politics is done and democracy practised. These are major steps which require deep reflection, and I look forward to it in as much as I can during the course of the referendum debate.