Rónán Mullen (Independent) | Oireachtas source

One thing I have learned, if I had not already learned it in recent weeks, is that we should be very grateful for the Constitution. It is the Constitution that can save us from the shallowness of our political leaders right now. I am thankful, in particular, for the McKenna judgment and the Coughlan judgment, specifically the former. When we hear people grumbling about the McKenna judgment, we can safely conclude that they do not have the best interests of democracy at heart because the judgment and the Constitution stand in the way of people such as the members of the Government and their supporters who would oversimplify issues, deprive us of our necessary democratic institutions, reduce the quality of politics and the scrutiny to which they are subjected.

Henry Kissinger famously said 90% of politicians gave the other 10% a bad name. I am not sure whether I admire Henry Kissinger or whether he is right about his ratio, but I believe a pleasant aspect of life around here is that, even when we disagree strongly with each other on policy, we continue to be personally friendly. I hope that will always be the case, but I believe that in respect of the initiative to abolish the Seanad, Government Senators, individually and collectively, deserve the sternest of criticism. They are present because they believe in our democratic institutions. Not one of them is on the record during the years as stating he or she did not believe in the quality or necessity of the Seanad. I am sure I will be corrected if I am wrong. They were all happy to run for and be elected to it and the nominees were all happy to be nominated.