Paul Bradford (Independent) | Oireachtas source

On a technical matter, will the Leader consider an amendment to the Order of Business to allow the taking of No. 16 before No. 1?

I refer to the mini-debate on the Committee of Selection. No. 5 is a motion on the report of the committee. There is no requirement for such a motion to come before the House because Standing Orders are prescriptive and we cannot rewrite history. As a member of the committee, I had to make a decision, as did all committee members, and we did so last night arising from a motion passed in the House some weeks ago, which said a select committee carrying out a banking inquiry should include two members nominated in accordance with Standing Order 89. That was in black and white. There was no shade of grey and it was prescriptive. The motion was passed. Seanad Éireann instructed the selection committee by a overwhelming vote of Members not to consider, submit or present two names but to nominate two Members to sit on the banking inquiry under Standing Order 89.

We need to be cautious about what we do because the Standing Order - we all fought to preserve the House last year on the basis that it is independent, not a creature of Government and stands on its own two feet - does not suggest but simply prescribes that there should be a Committee of Selection and that it shall nominate the Senators to serve on particular committees. That is the job of work which we were asked to do last night and which we completed. Some people are disappointed with the outcome but the Standing Order is clear.

It is disturbing to hear on the media and coming from certain sources concerns that the Government would not have a majority on the committee. If the committee is formulated arising from divisions in the Dáil and the Seanad, there would be members of Fianna Fáil, Fianna Fáil, Sinn Féin, the Labour Party and the Independents on it. The purpose of the select committee should not be that one side or the other has a majority; it should be that the committee comprises people who would do an independent job on behalf of the people. If we look at the committee as being about Government versus Opposition, majority versus minority, it will start in a negative fashion. We have to respect the motion passed in the House some weeks ago. I am sorry for exceeding my time but this is important. We must fully respect a motion passed in the House and we must fully respect the Standing Orders of the House. If we attempt to do other than that, we will create a dangerous precedent.