Hildegarde Naughton (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the Taoiseach to hear our views on reform of the Upper House. On Friday, 4 October the people voted to retain the Seanad. There is broad agreement in the House that we have a duty to work to reform the House. While not taking from the reform proposals outlined by other Members, I see a role for the Seanad in examining and scrutinising EU legislation before it is passed in the Dáil. There is an ever-increasing amount of EU legislation which has a direct impact on Ireland. The Upper House should allocate two days each month to examine and debate this legislation.

There is also a body of opinion that the Constitution is no longer fit for purpose. Drawn up in 1937, it is no longer representative of our modern society. For example, it contains provisions on the role of women in the home. Today, more women work outside the home for a variety of reasons. The Constitution has a definition of “family”, but it needs to take cognisance of today’s family units which could be made up of a single parent. Property rights, upward-only rent reviews and officeholders' pensions are other issues that need to be reviewed. Rather than changing the Constitution in a piecemeal way by going to the public every few months, the Seanad is in an ideal position to lead the way in drafting a new constitution that would represent a modern republic that would serve the people for the next 70 years. This should be done through extensive public consultation in which the Seanad would sit in various locations across the country to elicit the views of citizens to help shape a new constitution. I see this as building on the good work carried out by the Constitutional Convention, the work of which will expire early next year. The Seanad should have the legal supports necessary to assist Members in the consultation and drafting process. We have a unique opportunity for this House to pave the way in drafting a new constitution.