Martin Conway (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I agree that we need to start having a serious debate on Seanad reform. It is 17 months, at a maximum, to the next Seanad election and general election. We will not see too much reform before the next election but I would like to see constructive, positive engagement over the next year or year and a half on what should constitute Seanad reform so it can feed into the various parties' election manifestos. By the time the last general election was called, most parties had committed to a referendum on the abolition of the Seanad. A debate should result in a commitment to reform and feed into the next programme for Government so we will see Seanad reform.

I also congratulate the Naval Service and the Garda Síochána on what was a fantastic operation off the coast of Cork yesterday. With the justice committee members, I had the pleasure of visiting the naval bases in west Cork. The work the Naval Service does is phenomenal and often not recognised. It has done a great job and certainly deserves commendation. It is good to acknowledge and recognise something positive when it happens. With that in mind, I ask the Leader to invite the Minister for Defence to the House in the coming months to discuss the Naval Service, its ten-year plan and its plan for expansion. The Naval Service does a phenomenal job and it is appropriate that the Minister should come to the House to discuss defence, particularly naval services.