Feargal Quinn (Independent) | Oireachtas source

I am happy to provide it on that basis. I would not have a problem with emigrants' votes if it was done on the basis of current passports. I cannot believe there are many people with current passports who keep them up to date, who have actually not lost contact or interest during the years. I imagine it would be well able to continue on that basis.

I have a problem with the changes that have taken place since 1937 when we talk about registration and certainly about the voting system having to be operated by mail. While we are used to modern technology, in 1937 the word "mail" meant an envelope with a stamp on it.Registered mail meant something else as well. Nowadays mail is no longer an envelope with a stamp on it and therefore I imagine it is possible to be able to include a different method, be it e-mail or whatever else, that would enable us to have that. That point has been touched on in the report as well.

What gets me is that the referendum took place in October 2013. At that stage the Taoiseach said he got a wallop and therefore he would have to do something about it, yet nothing happened until the working group was set up in November 2014. That is a huge delay. I have often spoken in this House about the length of time it takes to get things done and the speed at which things happen in government circles, but this has been a very long period of time. The working group moved quickly, to the extent that it was able to hand over its very good report on 13 April. However, I had to ask the Leader in the House on 1 July what had happened to it. What happened between April and July?

It is unfortunate that nothing has happened since then. Even those of us who have invested confidence in the Taoiseach's commitment to achieve Seanad reform are beginning to doubt whether there is any real commitment at all. Senator Zappone has spoken about the fact that the Taoiseach announced today - at least we heard about it on the radio today - that he is going to meet the leaders of the Dáil to talk about Seanad reform. I could not get over that, and Senator Zappone has said the same thing. The first we heard about it was on the radio. It seems to me that the Taoiseach does not have his heart set on making changes, and if he has, he does not have his heart set on involving this House in getting change made. He did involve the members of the working group and there is a strong team with the added input of those involved in the implementation group, but the fact is that nothing has happened since then.

There have been a number of Bills, for example, the one Senator John Crown introduced, on which we had a good discussion. Senator Zappone and I also introduced a Bill, on which there was also a good discussion. We have had plenty of time to discuss reform but it is difficult to know what is happening and why things are not moving. In some ways, it seems that as the weeks pass we are entitled to fear that the Government may merely have been involved in a process of running down the clock. We heard in April that reform of the Seanad would be pushed forward by the Government but now it is July and there does not appear to have been any progress. The Leader used the term "very soon", which I assume is a quote from the Taoiseach, but that is not good enough.

It is also disappointing to realise that even if enacted now, the proposal of the working group could not operate for the next Seanad election, which is due early next summer. However, I am not sure that is true. Senator Zappone said that if we were really determined, legislation could be enacted on that basis. As I understand it, the working group completed the report on the assumption that change would happen before the next election. Even if we do not get the change, passing an Act based on the working group's proposals would at least ensure that real reform would be on the Statute Book and usable in the following election. While that would not be an ideal situation, the Taoiseach would be able to rightly claim a tangible and positive outcome. More important, the Government would be able to tell the electorate that it had implemented the change that more than 630,000 people voted in favour of.

The Oireachtas will go on recess at the end of next week or the following week and there is no prospect of the Government bringing the group’s Bill or its own Bill to either House before then. Once the Oireachtas resumes in the autumn we have at most approximately 20 weeks to enact the legislation even if the Government runs full term. I hope the Government will make an announcement on this immediately. I was nearly going to say "very soon". Next Tuesday would be the time if we are going to have Seanad reform because there will be a very busy legislative programme before the next general election, whenever that is.

The Taoiseach and the Government must realise they are now uniquely positioned to deliver what none of their predecessors had the leadership or the vision to deliver, namely, real and substantive Seanad reform. The Taoiseach could make a name for himself. That would be a huge achievement. Without overstatement it would be something to go down in the history book. The people spoke on the Seanad in 1979 and again in 2013. It is hard to believe that although last Saturday it was 26 years to the day since the people voted for change in the Seanad, that change has still has not been implemented. We have done enough of talking, although we have an opportunity to talk a little bit more. The danger is that we are repeating ourselves. I am not sure how many Members will speak today, but the Leader expressed disappointment that there were not many speakers on Seanad reform on the previous occasion. I hope we will have plenty of speakers on this occasion.

The working group has done sterling work and has come up with a very sensible proposal which retains the spirit of the Seanad as envisioned by the 1937 Constitution. It gave a different voice to that of the Dáil while opening it up to a much wider electorate. These are principles on which we all agree. All we need now is some effort from the Government to give voters what they want. Getting on with the task of delivering the historic reforms of the Upper House would signal the genuine shift to the "new politics" which has been promised by the Government.

I believe the customer is king, and in this case the customers have said they want change. They voted for change back in 1979 and again almost two years ago, yet it seems to take a very long time to get something done. I am disappointed that the Taoiseach does not appear to have grabbed hold of the issue because it is an opportunity for him to make a name for himself and for the Government by saying they were given a challenge by the people in 2013 and they have moved on it and are going to make the change now. We could do it. He could do it, but it needs determination. The Taoiseach will certainly have the support of this House based on the report before us. That does not mean everything in it should necessarily go unchallenged. The report will be challenged on a number of grounds but it will benefit from that. I congratulate the working group for what it has done and I urge it to make sure it insists on the Government doing something about it right away.