Fidelma Healy Eames (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

On the Bill, I refer to a vision in which there will be thinking politics in this House unimpeded by a Whip system or party politics. While I completely support that in the Dáil, the Seanad should be a thinking House that will inform policy that can then be taken on board by the Dáil. I will not impede democracy and today I will vote for the passage of this Bill. I do not wish to impede democracy but to improve it. There has been sufficient political interference for populist reasons, and that damages politics.

One of the reasons this was a poorly motivated proposal in the first instance is that it did not emerge for the right reasons. It emerged for populist reasons only and that is never a good motivation.

I believe the Irish people are not looking for small politics anymore. They are looking for thinking politics. Let us give it to them. Let us forget about ourselves here. We may be the fall guys but at least we will have made our mark.