Denis O'Donovan (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I am just making the point that I would prefer to have a referendum. I am supporting Senator Barrett's amendment because there are all sorts of possibilities out there. As we saw in the referendum to abolish the Seanad, the public are no fools. I personally thought that would succeed but they were put to the vote and they decided listen, we cannot trust the boys in the lower House. We want another House to keep an eye on what is going on. We are here to act as a hand brake to the system. For anybody out there to think there is a promise of a plebiscite in legislation, however sincerely meant, whenever a Government comes in of whatever hue or colour in ten or 15 years, by one simple debate in the Dáil and Seanad they can, as Senator Byrne suggested, have that section deleted in two sitting days. That is important to put on the record.

If we really want to put the status of the Senate in a better place - maybe we are there already - we should be seriously looking. It is something I said 15 years ago in this House about upgrading our Constitution. The 1937 Constitution with all due respect is not fit for 1917 or 1916. We are in a different society for many reasons.