Dr. Maurice Manning:

I was going to say that for the short time we were in this Chamber Joe O'Toole and I could reclaim our old titles, of which we were both very proud.

I thank everybody because the contributions have been extraordinarily constructive. There is a sense that there is a basis on which we can move forward. I think former Senator Joe O'Toole has dealt with most of the questions raised.

I want to be slightly political and agree very strongly with Senator Feargal Quinn. The timescale is important. We were able to produce our report effectively in three months. I do not know of any other working party or committee that produced its report within that time. We were able to do so in large part because we did not try to reinvent the wheel and because we were working on what had already been done. The term "navel gazing" was used by Senator John Crown and others. There had not been navel gazing but a significant amount of analysis of the Seanad, what needed to be done and what was possible. With committee members, many of whom had deep experience of the workings of the House and all of whom had great respect for this House and were aware of the potential, we worked on that basis. There is a draft Bill. I believe there is enough material available. The implementation group could work with the Parliamentary Counsel on the draft legislation and signpost the things that needed to be done such as dealing with the issue of cyber security. This might be done in earnest given the intention of the Government that legislation will be in place before the general election. It is like draining the River Shannon; people will only believe it when they see it happening. Members are, therefore, right to be impatient, but the timescale is realistic.

Former Senator Joe O'Toole has dealt with the question of political parties, but it is one that needs to be addressed head on. I am and have been a member of a political party all my life. I always encourage my students to be members of political parties. A good society needs people to be actively involved in political parties which are the mechanisms through which parliamentary politics works. When this House was set up in 1922, there was no Whip.The Cathaoirleach of the day was also the Leader of the House and the absence of a Whip system meant chaos. Very quickly the people who had said, to be different, we will have no Whips realised that for the practical purposes of getting business done, we had to organise Whips to be sure of votes. There is a difference between having Whips. As a former Whip myself, and in the presence of Senator Paul Coghlan, I think Whips play an extraordinarily useful role. The confusion is with the dominance of a majority. I was the Leader of this House for three years and I had a working majority of minus five because of the change of Government. Therefore, I have great sympathy for Senator Cummins.