Ivana Bacik (Independent) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the opportunity to speak on political reform in the wake of the very welcome result in the Seanad referendum, announced on Saturday. Other Members and I have already welcomed it on the Order Of Business. With respect to the Leader, I believe that while it is good to have the opportunity in the immediate aftermath of the referendum to discuss this matter, it is rather early. For many of us, because the result was rather unexpected – there appeared to be a real change in the last week of the campaign as people engaged thoughtfully with the issues put to them – there is a need to process the results. I would like us to be able to return to this in a couple of weeks and have the debate when we have all had a chance to process the result and think a little more clearly and in more detail about how best to proceed with the task of reform.

It was very clear that while the majority did not want the crude abolition proposal put to them, they and all those campaigning on the "No" side, including me, were calling for reform. There is now a very clear mandate for reform. Senator Crown referred to the near-death experience. We all need a little recovery time after it to process the result and think in a meaningful way about reform. It would benefit us to return to this after a little more time.

I take issue with one statement of Senator Crown in his otherwise very eloquent and thoughtful speech. Those of us in political parties do not have bosses in the other House.