Aideen Hayden (Labour) | Oireachtas source

Reform of the political system should be taken as a whole of which the Seanad is a part as determined by the Irish people in the highest opinion poll possible, a referendum. There is a very meaningful role for the Seanad in considering reform and the critical issues raised by the Constitutional Convention and how they can be addressed. A reformed Seanad should not be clientelist in its nature and the system for electing Senators should take this into account.

One of the main factors which came out of the debate on the abolition of the Seanad related to access to expertise. Any system of electing Senators should reflect the people's desire in this field. We should focus on electing a Seanad which is not parochial in its nature and which brings forward expertise to the greatest possible extent. I do not believe it is good enough to elect people to listen to panels of experts brought in before committees, excepting the role of arbitrator. Senators should be elected as experts. They should be people committed to the electoral system and the people of Ireland.

The Constitutional Convention has concerns about diversity in Irish politics. Diversity in ensuring representation of minority groups must be a component of any reformed Seanad. In this respect, one group I am particularly concerned about which is not represented in the current Dáil or Seanad are those who suffer from economic disadvantage.

A first step in deciding what type Seanad we want and need should be to decide how the Seanad should look and what it will contribute to the political process. In this regard I ask the Taoiseach to seriously revisit the idea of bringing the Seanad within the overall context of political reform at the Constitutional Convention.