Diarmuid Wilson (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I welcome this very short technical Bill which makes little change to the Seanad Electoral (Panel members) Act 1947. I welcome the small changes it makes. In particular, as the Opposition leader, I welcome the inclusion of the Local Authority Members Association. I remember well the legislation Senator Cummins mentioned. While I supported it, the Senator will appreciate that when one is Government, one sometimes has to do things one does not want to. I certainly did not want to oppose the Senator's Bill at the time. I welcome the fact that the Minister of State is introducing, on behalf of the Government, an amendment to this Bill to include LAMA as a nominating body. I pay tribute to Councillors Mags Murray, Sean McGowan, Michael Anglim, Bobby O'Connell and Hugh McElvaney who campaigned very hard on this issue, to me personally. I pay tribute to them here this evening. I was a member of the then General Council of County Councillors, which had a nomination to the administrative panel, the panel on which I was nominated. I welcome that the IALG is now entitled to a nomination. There are two further nominations to the panel that I will be contesting in the forthcoming election. We are democrats and we put ourselves out there for election and hopefully we will get elected. I wish whoever is lucky enough to get either of those nominations the very best of luck in the forthcoming election. I welcome the changes to the ballot paper, particularly for those people who suffer with sight difficulties, are illiterate or have difficulties with reading. I welcome those changes.

As Senator Ó Domhnaill has stated, the university electoral system already allows candidates free postage. Perhaps the Minister of State will clarify why that is included in this Bill. I am confused about why, if it already exists, it is necessary to put it into this Bill.

I pay tribute to all colleagues who lobbied on behalf of the various council representative bodies for these particular nominations. We are all aware that councillors work extremely hard throughout the length and breadth of their electoral areas. We see it first hand on television at the moment and we have witnessed some councillors involved in their communities that are unfortunately flooded. They are there representing their communities and doing their best to alleviate or help to alleviate the difficulties they are now facing.