Labhrás Ó Murchú (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

Cuirim fáilte roimh an Taoiseach. Is dóigh liom go dtugann an díospóireacht seo seans dúinn machnamh a dhéanamh ar éifeachtacht agus athchóiriú an tSeanaid. Tugann sé seans dúinn freisin ár dtuairimí a nochtadh i dtreo is go mbeidh tuiscint níos fearr ag an Taoiseach ar na féidearthachtaí atá romhainn anseo.

I compliment the Taoiseach on his gracious contribution. Seanad Éireann should respond with exactly the same spirit. Nothing focuses the mind like knowing one is going to be hanged in the morning. There was an element of this during the referendum campaign. As we waited for a reprieve, it gave us a chance to do some soul-searching. We are not political saints, but neither are we political devils. I would like to think the pendulum is veering towards sainthood. We are having a two-hour debate on Seanad reform. With each speaker having a few minutes, we will not achieve a consensus today on what the reforms should be.

The Taoiseach can be very proud of the Seanad Leader, Senator Maurice Cummins, and glad that he is leading this House because he does it so effectively and fairly. He is correct about the roadmap for Seanad reform. I hope we will not have knee-jerk reactions to reform but a methodical approach. There have been various reports during the years on Seanad reform, several of which I contributed to. I am disappointed that having given personal thoughts on reforms these reports are now gathering dust. However, that is not the fault of this House. We brought the ball as far as we could. If we want to develop a partnership with the Taoiseach and his Department to make this House more effective, we need to plan out the steps, even before we get to the shopping list of ideas.

The first step should be to establish an all-party committee, including Independents, to work methodically and in a determined manner on all the Bills and reports on Seanad reform. We must get back to basics. We should not let all of that documentation decide the outcome but, instead, use it as resource material. Even since the last report, society and the world have changed, as well as the economy and the attitude to politicians. The jury is still out to some extent on the public’s attitude to the Seanad. I do not believe we should be triumphalist in any way about the referendum result. The public are still watching to see what we will do next. Senators are hard working. However, the follow-up question is: are we effective? The jury is out on that issue also. If we are not effective, we must ask why. It is not because of a lack of commitment, dedication or time.

One highlight of my time in the Seanad was when the Orange Order addressed the House and engaged with us, breaking an historical mould. That is an example for the Seanad in the future. No Unionists will engage in Dáil Éireann. However, there is no reason they could not engage in this House. The peace process is fragile and worrying. We can see it in the body language of Northern Ireland’s First Minister and Deputy First Minister, with elements of the North’s programme for government being thrown to one side. It would be wonderful if the Seanad could play a role in ensuring we do not go back to the bad old days. I cannot think of any Chamber that is more appropriate for engaging with Unionists.

I believe the Taoiseach is prepared to go on the road of Seanad reform with us. If that is the case, even the referendum and the debate will have been worthwhile.