Fidelma Healy Eames (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Leader for giving us time to discuss this very important issue. We must start by asking what is political reform. It is about changing the way we do politics, the way we manage to represent and integrate the people and solve the problems they are bringing to us which are real issues in society. We received a mandate at the weekend to do this. We can be sure of one thing: if the Seanad had been abolished on Friday, political reform would not be on the agenda. In fact, it probably would not be considered in the Dáil anymore. We did not achieve this; the people achieved it for us. We are now looking at reform across both Houses and, as others have pointed out, the other leg of the stool is local government. It is a feeding process from top to bottom.

Some people even went so far as to write the word "reform" on their ballot paper. I thought it was quite discerning of one or two returning officers to allow this without calling it a spoiled vote, risky though that was. I heard Senator Martin Conway's analysis of the vote on the court of appeal and the Seanad. I thought the people showed huge discernment in that regard. They said they wanted a court of appeal, but that they did not want to throw out the Seanad. They were able to say the Constitution mattered and that there were safeguards in it. Let us not, therefore, throw out the baby with the bath water; let us improve democracy and how we do politics.

The Leader will be taking a lot of feedback from everybody here. I would like to put into the pot what others have said, such as references to the Bills introduced by Senator John Crown and by Senators Feargal Quinn and Katherine Zappone. The Leader should take written submissions from the various parties and individual groups such as the Reform Alliance which Senator Paul Bradford and I are representing. While we will all say our piece, it will be good to see who will put their piece in writing.

I would like to see a vote for all citizens. I would also like to see a non-partisan approach in the House; in other words, we should get rid of political parties. Somebody referenced Michael O'Regan's point today that this should be a House in which there is more policy and less politics. I agree. The other House can be more partisan, but this should be the thinking House and the pulse of the nation. We should vote on policy by a simple vote and then pass it to the Dáil to legislate. We can initiate legislation here also. I agree with the idea of having panels of experts put to the people to vote on. There might be some merit in having regional quotas, as we do not want all of the experts to come from Dublin. There could be a very considerable role in scrutinising EU legislation and Government appointments. There is a major body of work to be done. A Seanad election should take place mid-term in order that any Seanad would span two Government terms. I would like to see considered the proposal we placed on the Order Paper, No. 8, that all of this be gathered by 20 February 2014. We must have a deadline or it will not happen. Unless we have a deadline, we will be levied with the insult of it being a talking shop.

We have done some good work duing this term, be it in the public consultation session and the young Senators session. However, I am really disappointed with the people who have insulted this House from within this and the other House. This is a House of Parliament and the people have decided to keep it. I ask those who decided, following a rush of blood to the head, to insult it beyond all reasonable measure to reconsider withdrawing their remarks. It was just a means to push people into a "Yes" vote, but the people were not fooled by it.