Paul Coghlan (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I welcome Senators Maurice Manning and Joe O'Toole to the House. I thank them for all their work in producing this report. I find myself very much in agreement with the outline that our Leader, Senator Maurice Cummins, laid out at the start of the contributions. I suppose I am one of the fellows who harangued him often enough on representation without taxation which I believe is a non-runner. I recognise, of course, the good work of Senators Maurice Manning and Joe O'Toole and their colleagues and that they are completely confined within the constraints of the 1937 Constitution. I am glad to hear that there is a Bill on the way and, first things first, an implementation body is being set up. In common with all Members, I hope that the Leader of the Seanad is on that body and perhaps some other Senators from the different sides.

I agree with the broad outline with regard to the 13 directly elected Members. The Taoiseach's 11 nominees are provided for in the Constitution and 13 are to be elected by the councillors - I would grant them more - but I think Senator Mooney hit the nail on the head. We are wonderful navel gazers in here. We are a great talking shop, despite what others might think. I acknowledge Senator Quinn's smile, which is probably in agreement. Senator Mooney spoke about how the people voted in the referendum, but the truth is they could not give a fig, the bulk of them. Maybe for a lot of them on the other side it was a disagreement with the Government proposal.Let it be said, there were many on this side-----