Terry Leyden (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

Will the Leader of the House consider arranging a rolling debate on the proposals contained in the 2015 Seanad reform document? The time allotted yesterday to discuss the document was limited.No one had any great satisfaction in having four minutes or six minutes to outline a complex Bill, the hard copy of which was circulated yesterday, which meant there was not much time to study it. The Association of County and City Councils represents 1,000 councillors. The councillors are the most disenfranchised group in this. The association was established in 1947. The rights were developed over that period and they have exercised them with great caution, as everyone elected from the panels to the House knows. To get a vote is worth 1,000 votes in power. I ran for the Seanad in 1992 on the administrative panel and in 1997 I ran on the industrial and commercial panel, but failed to get elected on both occasions. I was elected to the Dáil when I first ran in 1977 and was elected five times subsequently. Comparing the Dáil and Seanad, in my experience it is much more difficult to get elected to this House.

Since Senator Cummins took over as Leader of the House, he has done his utmost to expand and develop the role of the House, including innovations with the Leas-Chathaoirleach, with people making submissions and other ideas the Leader has regarding European legislation. Those are all very positive things that can be done within this House.

With respect to the diaspora, my five siblings went abroad. My eldest sister died, but I have another two siblings in England and two brothers in America, who vote. My sister, brother and their families will be voting in tomorrow's general election in Britain. That is where they pay their taxes. Their local MP represents them, comes to their houses and canvasses them, as Deputies do here. In all the years I have been talking to them, they never once asked to be represented here. They are represented by us anyway. Let us be honest about it. Many Senators get calls, letters and other representations from abroad, and what do they do? They act on them.

There are grounds to have a rolling debate. As Senator Bacik said, the Bill that is to come should be debated. I do not know who is introducing it because they have no rights themselves.