Sean Barrett (Independent) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the Minister and thank and wish Senator Rónán Mullen well in his endeavours. It is a pity we are continuing the process of reducing the number of MEPs from Ireland. We have lost about a third as I understand we had 16 at one time. The number is being continuously reduced. We need that representation and support in the European Parliament. John Bruton, the previous Taoiseach and leader of Fine Gael, has pointed out that in the United States small states are looked after better. Their representation is guaranteed and they have a guaranteed number of Senators compared to the large states, such as New York and California. We have a question to raise as to why our representation has been reduced so much. The MEPs have addressed this House, all of whom impressed us, and they found it a very valuable exercise as well. They said that in no other country they could think of do MEPs come back and address a House of Parliament. That was major innovation by our Leader, Senator Maurice Cummins, and this House.

I agree with Senator Rónán Mullen that the constituencies are unwieldy. From Moneygall to Malin Head is one constituency and from Bray to Mizen Head is one constituency. I do not think it is possible for people to serve those, which is a pity.

One of the things about the European Parliament that may account for some of the alienation referred to by Senator Rónán Mullen is that person A runs for election and then makes a personal gift of his seat to somebody else. That should end. Let us have a by-election. It must discredit the Parliament that it is looking at candidates whom it never heard of. The reason is that a big name candidate ran in the last election. Even the House of Lords in the adjoining island, which passes on titles, that is being discredited. If we are to remove some of the alienation people feel from the European Parliament the personal benefactor practice of handing seats from the person we elected to a person whom he or she chooses must end. I do not think one could have done it any other way. One of the comments people have made is that it will be very hard to get the All-Ireland hurling title from anywhere but these constituencies as they include all the hurling counties but we will keep trying.