Rónán Mullen (Independent) | Oireachtas source

They took a proposal from the Taoiseach that we all know to have been a shallow one. It came only a wet week after he had talked up the merits of reforming the Seanad and giving it an enhanced role. The advisers, minders and people who deal in shallow populist ideas told him it would be a good idea to curry favour with the electorate by reducing the number of politicians. Interestingly, as we know, he did not seek to reform the Dáil at the same time, although he talked a lot about it. We were told there would be 20 fewer Deputies. The only reason there are now to be eight fewer is that it would require a referendum to reduce the size of the Dáil to any great degree, yet we are to have a referendum on the Seanad. The reality is that we have a Government that has no genuine interest in political reform. It has an interest only in creating the appearance of reform and being seen as the sheriff that will come in and clean up the town. In reality, however, it is not out to clean up the town at all but to buttress its own elite position.

What saddens me about the performance on the Government side is that the Members have shown a shocking lack of gumption. They have completely failed to man-up or woman-up and resist this grubby little proposal. It is quite clear that the Government ought to have reshaped or rejected this legislation. It should have carried through on what it states in private it would like to see happen, that is, the reform of the Seanad.