Feargal Quinn (Independent) | Oireachtas source

When I was running my business, I remember asking a successful businessman what the most important thing was for achieving success. He said "If the boss thinks it's important". That is why I am delighted the Taoiseach is here today. I know from his being here and from his words today that he believes it is important to reform the Seanad. His presence today is quite magnanimous and will be of benefit to the reform agenda. Reform is needed to modernise our politics and to make the way Ireland is governed much more responsive to the needs of its citizens.

The Taoiseach's decision to come here today is a measure of the man and it underlines the dignified manner in which he has accepted the people's verdict. The recent referendum campaign was a worthwhile exercise in so far as it challenged and raised key constitutional issues. Although hard-fought by both sides, the campaign was not personalised. On 4 October, the Irish people voted for a reformed Seanad Éireann. It is now incumbent on all of us in the Oireachtas to ensure we have a national Parliament that is efficient and effective and that will underline better politics. As the Taoiseach acknowledged on the night of the referendum count, the result brought clarity. It brought clarity to the issue of the future of Seanad Éireann and the people, in the Taoiseach's own words, have now undoubtedly "decided and confirmed that the Senate is retained as part of our constitutional institutions". The Taoiseach also pledged, as head of the Government, to reflect on the best way to make the Seanad an effective contributor to the change in politics.

The Taoiseach has my full support in the objective of reforming and improving Seanad Éireann, but this must happen without delay. I want to put on record that I was very pleased to see the Taoiseach move so swiftly in the aftermath of the referendum and to give a commitment to introduce legislation to extend the Seanad franchise to all graduates right away. The Irish people voted strongly in favour of this measure in 1979 and it really is an indictment of all Governments since then that this sovereign decision was never given effect. It is to the Taoiseach's credit that he is now going to address the issue. However, as he acknowledged himself, this is only a small first step.

Possibly the Seanad's greatest difficulty is that it is perceived as being remote from the public because so few of our people have a say in its composition. I have been convinced for a long time of the need to open up the Seanad and to give every Irish citizen a vote in Seanad elections. The outcome of the referendum offers the Government a great opportunity to bring about the wholesale reform of the Oireachtas that is so badly needed. We have heard that already today. It would be worthwhile and would make our politics more democratic and more representative if we had a Seanad in which every Irish person had a stake.

The Taoiseach will be aware that Senator Zappone and I have already brought forward a comprehensive Bill that was passed unanimously to Committee Stage here in Seanad Éireann and is now on the order paper of the Dáil. This legislation offers a credible means to effect a radical transformation of how members of Seanad Éireann are elected and of how the House functions. By means of legislation, which would avoid the need for another costly referendum, this Bill proposes to extend the vote in the elections for Seanad Éireann to everybody on the island, North and South, and to our diaspora abroad. I know that our proposal is not the only reform proposal on the table, but the existence of a number of reform options is not a bad thing. It shows what is possible and demonstrates the commitment and sincerity of those who urge reform.

There are immediate reforms of the business of the Seanad that could be implemented under Standing Orders, particularly the scrutiny of statutory instruments. However, more fundamental reform could be achieved via the changes envisaged in our Bill. Senator Crown has also published a separate Seanad reform bill which is informed by precisely the same reforming principles as the Bill by Senator Zappone and myself. Indeed, both Bills overlap in many respects and both herald major and positive reforms in how the Seanad is elected and operates. The finer technical differences between the two could easily be resolved during a Committee Stage debate. Indeed, this reinforces the purpose and strength of the Seanad as a forum for reaching consensus.

I was very impressed to hear the Leader, Senator Cummins, talk about the task force today. I think everybody must have a stake in a reformed Seanad. Devising reform proposals should not be the sole preserve of the Civil Service or current Members of either House. It should involve a mixture of Members along with academics and other experts, especially those with an established interest in Seanad reform. We must also listen to the voice of the wider public.

Regarding the Bill that Senator Zappone and I brought forward, it must be stressed that we are in no way proprietorial about the Seanad Bill 2013. If the Taoiseach wished to introduce this legislation in his own name or in the names of Fine Gael and Labour Senators in this House, I would be most happy to support that. The most important thing now is that the people get the reformed Seanad that they voted for.

I am convinced that the Taoiseach is in a unique position. He has grabbed hold of this challenge and can now achieve something that many of his predecessors, including Éamon de Valera, were unable to achieve. He can give us a new Seanad and a new Oireachtas that is both effective and robust. I wish him well in that.