Brian Hayes (Dublin South West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

The convention has been a very good exercise and having panels of experts to work with it is the means through which we can ensure better legislative scrutiny in the future. We stand over this.

Senator Sean D. Barrett made a number of claims on which I ask him to reflect, in particular his remarks on Northern Ireland. Like Senator Terry Leyden, he is not over the Constitution. Clearly, he has not read it or refuses to understand the bits of it that do not suit him. I refer him to Article 47.3 which states: "Every citizen who has the right to vote at an election for members of Dáil Éireann shall have the right to vote at a Referendum". Therefore, the question does not arise in regard to Northern Ireland for the reason that only those who can vote in a Dáil election will have a vote when it comes to the holding of a constitutional referendum. If someone is living in Northern Ireland and not registered to vote in a Dáil election, he or she does not have a vote in a referendum. Therefore, the proposition outlined by the Senator is constitutionally suspect to say the least.

The second issue relates to voters who have a vote in the university constituency. Those people in Northern Ireland who have a vote have it because they are graduates of the universities. What about the rest of the people living in Northern Ireland who are Irish citizens and part of the Irish nation? Are they to be excluded? Are they children of a lesser god when it comes to the less than 40% who turn out to vote for the university Senators? The Government has a different view. It believes people who live in the Republic should vote on this issue. The question does not arise in regard to Irish citizens living in Northern Ireland because they are not entitled to vote in a Dáil election. This is not about one category of voter and their entitlement to vote. The issue is whether this republic needs a one-House or two-House parliament. That is the issue that will be debated in the course of the campaign.

The issue of the public information campaign was raised by Senator David Norris, but I want to rebut his suggestion. The Government will not be running a publicly funded Government information campaign. The suggestion is that in some way Government funds will be used for the purpose of winning this campaign.

Political parties will spend money on this campaign in the normal way and will account for that in the normal way. A referendum commission is being established and a sum of €2.1 million is being set aside for the purposes of that campaign in an independent way, as has been the case in recent referendums in a very honest transparent way.

Senator Norris is confusing a number of issues, which I hope to explain to him now. On the ballot paper, we will have a very clear reference to the proposed abolition referendum. The statement for the information of voters will be sent to all homes and will make it clear that we are talking about the abolition of the Seanad. There will be an information campaign conducted by the referendum commission, which is an independent body that will set out the arguments and encourage people to vote and take part in the process. The commission has been established. There has been much criticism of previous government decisions for the late establishment of commissions and the like. In this case, the commission is being established and is getting ready for its work in informing voters.

As a Minister of State of the Government, I have always enjoyed coming to this House. I have always found the debate to be of use to me as a Minister of State. Although Senator Barrett ignored it during his contribution last week, on two separate occasions I overruled the advice of my officials and took his Bills. I am not so sure I will do it in the future, given his remarks to me already.