Labhrás Ó Murchú (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I compliment the Minister of State on her decision not to oppose this Bill. It sends the right message to the public. Intentionally or otherwise, the Taoiseach may have done this House a favour by holding a referendum on the abolition of the Seanad. Until then, we were depending largely on guesswork and innuendo as to the public attitude to the Upper House. By allowing citizens to decide on the future of the Seanad, we got a chance to make our case. As we all know, it is not always easy to get publicity for the work we do here. Several speakers noted that debates in this Chamber tend to avoid personality politics to a large degree. In many cases, the contributions of Senators reflect the substantial research they have done on a particular matter. Senator Darragh O'Brien observed that he came to understand the legislative process better after coming to this House then he ever did when he was a backbencher in Dáil Éireann.

I compliment Senator Diarmuid Wilson on bringing forward these proposals and the manner in which he did so. It is important that our debate on the Bill has not coincided with a by-election, because it allows us to debate the issues in a general sense. Indeed, Senator Wilson's proposals preceded any discussion about by-elections because he has been working on them for a considerable time. He consulted broadly, which meant he was not making a party issue of it. He spoke to people on all sides of the House and it was clear all Senators wanted to do what was right by the House. We do not own Seanad Éireann and it is a privilege to be here. At the same time, we all like to think we give a reasonable service.

The underlying basis of the Bill is a concern for democracy. While there are difficulties associated with the broader objective of enhancing the democratic nature of Seanad elections, what Senator Wilson has proposed in this legislation is a measure we can implement without difficulty. The fact the Government is not opposing it gives us the opportunity of teasing it out further and, in addition, of discussing reform in the broader context. It was evident from the debates surrounding the referendum on the future of the Seanad, if not from the result of the vote itself, that the public wants reform. What is less clear, however, is what form that reform should take. There are complexities involved in any reform but that change is required is beyond question. Nothing stands still. Our society is changing, our country is changing and things are changing internationally. There are many new obligations on us to protect democracy, as we have seen in recent times. We must have the structures in place to do that work properly and, indeed, we must have the confidence of the people to do so.

As Senator Wilson noted, there are changes we can implement before there is are any change in legislation. In the case of the 11 Taoiseach's nominees, for instance, there is an opportunity to respond to some of the concerns expressed by voters. To the credit of the Taoiseach, his nominees to this Seanad were quite diverse and represented many aspects of life in this country. Those Senators have made a valuable and important contribution to the work of the House. We have an ideal opportunity to consider doing something in respect of the 11 Taoiseach's nominees.

I recently accompanied a guest from America on a visit to both the Seanad and Dáil Chambers. I do not know if he is familiar with the ongoing debate on the subject but he asked me afterwards about the prospect of having the diaspora represented in this House. It is an issue we have discussed on several occasions in this House, with the view often expressed that we might start by allowing members of the diaspora to vote in presidential elections. We are very much part of a globalised world and a person representing Irish people abroad would be able to offer something important to the work that is done in this House.

Likewise, there could be a particular role for the Seanad on Northern Ireland matters. Members will recall that we had representatives of the Orange Order here on the initiative of former Senator Martin McAleese. It was an amazing experience because whatever preconceived notions people might have had, the actual debate was useful and moderate and we were able to find many areas on which we agreed. There is so much more we could do in that area, in a context where the peace process is still not 100% bedded down. I travel to the North on a regular basis and have engaged with loyalists and republicans in various fora. It is clear to see that under the surface, difficulties remain to be resolved. This House is an ideal forum in which to engage with people from all traditions in the North.

The Government support for this Bill is welcome. I hope there is an opportunity in the future to look at a larger reform package and how we might work together to achieve it.