Maurice Cummins (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

Senator Darragh O'Brien and several other Members referred to the Seanad reform working group established by the Taoiseach. It is the prerogative of the Taoiseach to appoint Members to a working group if he so wishes. The Taoiseach informed me that he intended setting up such a group and was not aware of the membership of it. He announced on 11 November in the Dáil that he would set up such a group and it was discussed here in our debate on the Seanad Bill which was brought before us a number of weeks ago.

This committee is not a blue sky committee. Rather than replicating and duplicating work that has already done, it will mostly be doing work based on the recommendations of previous reports. All of the groups mentioned by Senator Gerard Craughwell and many more, including all the nominating bodies, were invited to give written presentations to the previous committee. Approximately 161 groups or individuals responded to this invitation, and these are listed on pages 71 to 76 of the report. Many of them were asked to give oral reports to that committee, and these are documented also. Several trade unions, including the TUI, gave oral presentations to the committee. It is those reports that the working group is examining. All the people mentioned by Senator Craughwell have been consulted. I have no problem with a debate on the working group. We have had several debates on Seanad reform. We can have proposals. The new group has the authority under its terms of reference to consider any new submissions made to it. If the House has new submissions to make I have no problem in having a debate on the issue. We can appoint a rapporteur who can convey our wishes to the group. I have no problem in doing that. I will facilitate a debate at 7 p.m. tomorrow if Members wish to have such a debate. We can appoint somebody to act as rapporteur; perhaps Senator Craughwell might do so. If there are new proposals on Seanad reform, other than those which have been put before us, we can make them to the group. The working group will report back by the end of March and we will then have ample time to discuss the report. The Government will probably discuss it also and, maybe, introduce legislation to implement some of the recommendations on which the working group decides. We will have ample opportunity at that time to discuss that report. If people have new ideas and want to discuss it again, I have no problem in facilitating a debate tomorrow at 7 p.m. We will get somebody to act as rapporteur and move the issue on if that is the wish of the House.

Senators Ivana Bacik, David Cullinane and Paul Coghlan raised the issue of the Waterford Crystal workers. It is welcome that the Government has signed off on an agreement. The workers will decide next week whether to accept it. I compliment the workers, the unions, the Minister and the Government for their work in achieving this agreement. Many people have worked behind the scenes. I compliment Mr. Kieran Mulvey on his efforts in respect of the proposed settlement of this matter. It was a disgrace that people who worked for 40 years in a company came out with little or nothing. I am pleased that issue has been addressed. It is another one of the legacy issues the Government faced on coming into Government and which has been-----