Maurice Cummins (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I move amendment No.1:
To delete all words after “Seanad Éireann” and substitute the following:

“- notes that the Taoiseach and Tánaiste met the leaders of the various parties and groupings in Dáil Éireann and Seanad Éireann on 18 December 2013 to consider how best to proceed with the reform of Seanad Eireann;
- notes that there was agreement at the meeting that the parties and groupings in Dáil Éireann and Seanad Éireann would present their proposals for operational/ procedural reform of Seanad Eireann to the Seanad Committee on Procedure and Privileges early in 2014, for consideration by that Committee, and that the Government would submit its proposals to the Committee through the Leader of the Seanad;
- notes that there was broad consensus that a task force, representative of the different parties and groupings within the Houses of the Oireachtas, would look at reform of the Seanad electoral system;
- notes that the parties or groupings in Dáil Éireann and Seanad Éireann may submit their proposals for reform of the Seanad electoral system to that task force;
- notes that task force will be in a better position to propose a timeline for the enactment of legislation once it had scoped out the nature and extent of the legislation proposed, and examined any possible constitutional implications;
- notes that the Government had already agreed that legislation should be prepared by the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government to implement the 1979 referendum decision which allowed the State to extend the provisions for the election of members of Seanad Éireann by certain universities to other institutions of higher education in the State;
- notes that, when the Heads of this Bill are ready, they will be circulated to Seanad Éireann, the Joint Oireachtas Committee on the Environment, Culture and the Gaeltacht, and other stakeholders, including the institutions of higher education in the State, for their consideration;
- urges the various parties and groupings in Dáil Éireann and Seanad Éireann to submit their reform proposals to the Seanad Committee on Procedure and Privileges or the task force, as appropriate; and

agrees that the question of constitutional reform, which would require a referendum or referendums, can be considered at a later date.”.

I welcome the Minister of State to the House. There have been many discussions during the lifetime of the 24th Seanad on its work, composition and its very existence. Senator Zappone has put forward some very convincing proposals in her motion today and I congratulate her on bringing the subject of Seanad reform before the House again. So many of the arguments have been debated time and time again but this topic is so serious that whenever it arises, it deserves thoughtful consideration by the Government and Members of Seanad Éireann. The amendment sets out the Government's position with regard to reform of this House. I agree with Senator Zappone on many of the issues in her motion and believe there is a good element of common ground in both the motion and the amendment. I do not believe the debate today needs to be an adversarial one.

Fine Gael gave a commitment prior to the last general election that a referendum on the future of Seanad Éireann would be held. The referendum was held and the people voted to retain this House. However, it was very clear from the public discourse at the time that there is also a public appetite for reform of Seanad Éireann. As we are all aware, countless reports on Seanad reform are gathering dust, consigned to the scrap heap by successive Governments. These reports, in the main, dealt with how the Seanad should be elected but no Government had the courage to implement the recommended reforms. In the aftermath of the referendum result, my party leader, the Taoiseach, acted quickly by instructing the relevant officials to commence the drafting of legislation to enact the result of the 1979 referendum which will confer the right on all third level graduates to vote in future Seanad elections. This must be welcomed as a wise first step on the road to reform. We must, of course, listen to voice of the University Panel Senators and address their concerns, where possible.

Time never stands still and further, more comprehensive change is needed. High-level reform of the general political system is urgently required to address the disconnect between the public and politics, which is a cause of concern in many democracies. As Leader of the House, I have tried to reform the way the business of this House is conducted, despite the archaic rules and Standing Orders under which we work. We set up a public consultation committee at the suggestion of the Independent nominees and have engaged with many organisations, including those dealing with the rights of older people and those dealing with the lifestyle changes needed to prevent cancer. We have consulted with Social Entrepreneurs Ireland, CoderDojo and Change Nation, which inspired us with their ideas for improving Irish life and society. Some of these consultations have produced reports which we submitted to the relevant Ministers, not only for debate but for action. As long as we have the co-operation of the Government, we intend to continue with this work which gives a voice to people and groups that may not otherwise be heard by Government but which are, nonetheless, carrying out essential work in wider society.

Last year the House provided a platform for all Irish MEPs. I invited all 12 MEPs to come before the House to discuss their particular areas of expertise and to inform us about the work of the committees of which they are members so that we, as legislators, are better informed about the procedures at European level before we are asked to enact legislation here in Ireland that has largely been drafted elsewhere. This initiative was long overdue, especially given the importance of engaging with our representatives in Europe. Our EU Commissioner, Ms Máire Geoghegan-Quinn, also gave an excellent address to the House and spoke of the need for far greater dialogue between national politicians and EU representatives and institutions. It is essential that we continue to review EU policy and the Commission's work programme in the months ahead.

As I have said on many occasions, the key role of this House is to improve and enhance legislation. However, we can only deal with the work we are given to do. The pipeline of legislation coming through the House is a source of great concern to me and most of my colleagues. Indeed, it has been alluded to again today. The pattern of having very little to do at the beginning of a term, followed by a raft of long, late sittings towards the end of each term, including the shortening of debates in some instances, is a long-standing one. I know that the Minister of State is trying to initiate reforms to improve the process and I will support him in any way I can in ordering the business of this House. However, better planning of their legislative priorities by the relevant Departments is needed so that we can avoid the peaks and troughs that seem, to me at least, to be avoidable.

I wish to advise the House that I intend to bring forward a number of my own proposals to the Seanad Committee on Procedure and Privileges regarding the schedule of business in the House. In order to avoid clashes between Oireachtas committee meetings and the Order of Business, I propose that we replace Adjournment debates with commencement debates, from 10.30 a.m. to 12.00 p.m, when the Order of Business would then take place. Committees would meet from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. and after 1.30 p.m. each day, which would avoid clashes with the Order of Business.

Personally, I would prefer if we had one week dedicated to committee work each month. That would benefit both Houses and committees, but I do not believe there is an appetite for it. Will the Minister of State, Deputy Paul Kehoe, comment on this?

Oireachtas committee reports should be referred to the Seanad for debate and we should explore the feasibility of committee Chairmen attending the House for such debates. Reports from public bodies which are required to be laid before the Houses of Oireachtas and cover issues relating to Seanad panels should also be debated in the Chamber. The Seanad should review EU policy and its work programme annually. The Government’s approval will be sought for the Seanad to have a formal role in the North-South Ministerial Council, as well as the British-Irish Council, and the relevant Minister would address the Seanad following each Council meeting.

Some of these changes will require the Government’s backing. I am sure a way to enable the Seanad to take on such work could be found. I will keep the House informed on the progress of these proposals. I welcome suggestions from any Senator or group who wishes to improve the way the House does its business. The Minister of State will outline later that the Government has proposals, too. There is a broad consensus on the need to reform the House, how it is elected and its day-to-day business. This can only be done with the backing of the Government and the co-operation of Members.

I commend the amendment to the motion to the House.