Maurice Cummins (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

We have referred to the public consultation committee. We have already met the Oireachtas Sub-Committee on European Scrutiny. Senators Quinn, Leyden, van Turnhout, Colm Burke and myself will examine the EU work programme which will be published this month of November, probably next week. We will look at areas we can debate from that work programme in this House. That is one item.
We will also have debates on the North-South Ministerial Council in this House, which has not happened heretofore. Those are just some of the items. At the Committee on Procedure and Privileges we are talking about scrapping Adjournment motions and replacing them with commencement debates which would avoid clashes with committees. These are all very laudable items of reform.
The vast majority of things that people are caught up with when they talk about reform, is reform in terms of the election of the Seanad. That has been the topic for 80% of the reports carried out. The ten reports that have been mentioned have dealt with how the Seanad is elected and not with Seanad reform per sewithin the House. We can do so much within the House and will do so with co-operation. We will bring everyone on side to discuss how we can do so within our own rules. That is my intention. That is what we are doing and will continue to do. There is a greater agenda in regard to the election.
The Government has mentioned that university seats should be elected now by institutes of technology as well as universities. That is something which the people decided in 1979. It is the Government putting in place what the people decided in 1979 and that is how it should go. Why have we not had a Bill on something that the people decided in 1979?