Denis Landy (Labour) | Oireachtas source

I add my voice to all the other voices in congratulating Senator O'Donovan on being elected Cathaoirleach today. What will be required in the coming months and, hopefully, years will be exactly what the Cathaoirleach has done, namely, exude calmness. It will also require a relaxed person who will sit back and listen to the debate, who will move the debate along and who will ensure the debate has a finality but also a result. I have watched Senator O'Donovan doing just that in the Chair over the past five years. It is extremely important. Experience is important but if the person in the Chair does not show energy, calmness and interest in the debate, he or she will be quickly found out by the Senators.

I should have said at the outset that I am delighted to be sitting here with 42 new Senators and some of the old fogies, such as Senator Wilson, from the previous Seanad. I look forward to the debate.

What will be needed in this Seanad, and which I say against my own party and the other party in government on the previous occasion, is more respect for the House, for the Senators and for the work we must do in this House. In the previous Seanad, I sat long hours on many occasions. I held four spokesmanships and I treated each of those with the proper merit it deserved. However, I sat here with Ministers who did not show respect to the House. If we are to get work done and if the Government wants to get legislation through, we are now in a completely different world in terms of numbers and the numbers game. That is what I would like to go out from here today. The Government should respect us and we will respect it. If one comes in here with an attitude in terms of what one thinks about this House or otherwise, one will go out with a different attitude because respect will not be reciprocated.

I stood against my own party and canvassed for the retention of the Seanad. I have seen 13 reports on Seanad reform. For me, the most positive reform would be the willingness of the party in government to listen to good debate in this House from all quarters and to act and amend legislation where necessary. That would not require any reform. It would require a Cathaoirleach with common sense and respect from the Ministers who come in here. All of us 60 Senators have our own qualities, ability, integrity, knowledge and expertise. If we put all of that together, we will get better legislation on behalf of the people. That would be my wish.

I congratulate Senator Buttimer on his role. Like others here, I knew him first as a councillor. I also congratulate the other leaders, Senator Ardagh, Senator Conway-Walsh and, indeed, my own leader, Senator Bacik. I hope that we can work well together. We will have disagreements. That is part of democracy. We will vote against each other and with each other. That is also part of democracy. At the end of the day, however, our job is to see good legislation leave this House after us having put our stamp on it and I look forward to doing that.