Fidelma Healy Eames (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

The Taoiseach is very welcome. I have two brief points. On 26 September, I and Senators Bradford and Norris tabled a motion on the Order Paper that in the event of a rejection of the proposed abolition of Seanad Éireann, a committee that was representative of all parties and groups would be established to prepare and bring forward proposals for political and electoral reform. It was to include the provision that all citizens of voting age would be eligible to vote in elections to Seanad Éireann and the report of such proposals was to be laid before this House no later than 20 February 2014. That ties in with what many other people have proposed here today.

I have a number of requests. The first is that written submissions be invited from all Members and from members of the public, within one month. These should be based on clear terms of reference and in report form would inform future legislation. My second request is that the Whip should be relaxed and that there should be more policy and less politics in this House. That would allow for more critical thinking, in particular on matters of conscience. We have seen how important that is.

I have a question for the Taoiseach. In his opening statement, he mentioned that we should consider how the Seanad might give real value to work undertaken by the Dáil. In that context, did the Taoiseach, when he appointed his 11 nominees, give consideration to appointing a Seanad Member to Cabinet, in view of current needs, for example, in the areas of banking or health administration? I would like to have an answer to that question.