Paul Kehoe (Wexford, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I am pleased to have the opportunity to speak in the Seanad in support of the motion proposed by the Leader of the Seanad, Senator Maurice Cummins. The subject of this debate is important and I am glad to have an opportunity to contribute to it. Seanad reform was much discussed during the recent referendum. There was consensus on all sides that, whatever else, there was little appetite for the Seanad to continue in its present form. Now that the people have given their decision, we must all look at how the Seanad can be reformed so that it serves its purpose as a 21st century House of Parliament.

The debate on reforming the Seanad is not new. As we know, since 1937 there have been numerous reports and policy papers on how the Seanad might be reformed. Indeed, many of these got an airing during the referendum campaign. The challenge now facing the various parties and groupings in both Houses is to produce proposals for practical, implementable reform, and to do this quickly and effectively. The reforms that have been proposed down the years, and more recently through draft legislation and policy papers, fall into two broad areas. The first relates to the role and functions of the Seanad and how it carries these out, while the second concerns how the members of the Seanad are nominated and elected.

As the House will know, the Taoiseach and Tánaiste met the leaders of the different parties and groupings in the Dáil and Seanad before Christmas to get their views on what areas should be reformed and how we should proceed to develop and implement appropriate reform proposals. There was a very good discussion at that meeting and all present had the opportunity to express their views. The meeting identified three possible ways in which reform could proceed and I will deal with these in turn. The first involves operational or procedural reform. Proposals can be developed as regards both the work of the Seanad and the manner in which that work is carried out. The second involves legislation that would be necessary in order to reform the Seanad electoral system. Finally, change could be implemented by way of constitutional amendment, but this would entail reverting to the people in another referendum.

To return to procedural reform, there was agreement at the meeting between the Taoiseach and the Tánaiste and the party leaders and groups that procedural reform should proceed immediately. I am sure Senators will agree that there are many ways in which the operation of the Seanad can be improved. The parties and groups were invited to present their proposals for procedural reform to the Seanad Committee on Procedure and Privileges and I urge all involved to do this. Procedural reform should be the quickest and easiest way to make progress, and the sooner we start the better. The Government will submit its proposals to the committee through the Leader of the Seanad and I expect that this will be done in the coming weeks.

In urging parties and groups to bring forward their proposals in this area, I would like to highlight the excellent work that has already been done by the Seanad Leader, Senator Maurice Cummins, in improving the work of the House. The initiatives he has brought forward since becoming Leader were praised by all sides of the House during the debate on the referendum, and rightly so. I think it is fair to say that there is widespread consensus on all sides of the House that the way the Seanad operates can be enhanced within current constitutional and legislative frameworks. Another area that received a significant airing during the referendum campaign was the role of the second House in regard to EU scrutiny. I believe there is considerable scope for reform in these and other areas.

The focus of the motion before the House today is on legislative reform. As I already said, this primarily involves reform of the Seanad electoral system. The electoral system for the Seanad is complex and it may be worth briefly recapping exactly how it works. The Constitution provides for the election of 49 of the 60 members of Seanad Éireann. The other 11 members are nominated by the Taoiseach of the day. The current Taoiseach made imaginative choices in selecting his nominees, the first time ever a Taoiseach broadened the selection of nominees. I am glad to recall that even during the height of the referendum campaign there was widespread recognition of that fact.