John Crown (Independent) | Oireachtas source

There are many Members in this House with good ideas. There are those who have ideas that they can advance here in a way that they could not be advanced in the other House. I refer to direct and specific legislation. As several speakers mentioned, we are frustrated by the limited opportunity we have to introduce Bills. I will work longer hours to have more opportunities to introduce legislation. If one is a backbencher, one can introduce a Bill only once every eight months.

In the remaining term of the Seanad, I would love to implement three or four other ideas. Sometimes we can work in unity with our colleagues in the parties and sometimes we cannot, but we should accord considerable priority to the proposed reforms. Perhaps we should have fewer statements or, if we are to have them, more limited time should be allowed for them. Perhaps there should be more opportunities for legislation.

We should all examine collectively – I have not been good at it – our serious input into making amendments. Perhaps we should try to set up some cross-party sub-committees within this Chamber to consider potential legislation. The members may identify the need for a Bill on a technical issue, a science issue, an agricultural issue, a commercial issue or a tax issue, for example. There are individuals who could give us advice as a collective on how we might improve in this regard.

Let me make a more ambitious proposal. We all agree absolutely that there is a need for fundamental reform, not just of the Upper House but also of the system of governance. Some of us will approach this in different ways. I have a bee in my bonnet and believe there should be greater separation between executive and legislative functions, with greater legislative oversight of the executive functions and enhanced ability to appoint people to executive functions.

This Chamber could act as a very important sounding board for bigger ideas. We should make use of our public engagement process. Let this be not a convention but a sounding board for individuals to afford us opportunities for reform.