Michael McDowell (Independent) | Oireachtas source

I fully accept that the Minister of State, Deputy English, is speaking in good faith but, unfortunately, I do not accept that the Government is acting in good faith on this matter. The then Taoiseach sought nominations to the group in December 2016. To say that matters are ongoing in June, more than six months later, is, frankly, ridiculous. If there was any appetite for moving ahead with the implementation group, it would have been progressed long before now.

The Minister of State has drawn attention to the extension of the franchise to Irish citizens living abroad for presidential elections.Last weekend, I saw in the papers a statement indicating that the Government no longer intends to do that either. I am drawing the conclusion that whereas the script that the Minister of State has read in the House points in one direction but cannot explain the massive delays, the reality is that Seanad reform has been killed off and that Government Senators in this House have been assured that it will not happen. The real explanation for the non-implementation of the implementation group, if I can put it that way, is that there is no appetite for it whatsoever and that assurances were given in the course of the Fine Gael leadership contest that it would not happen.

Those groups in this House that do believe in reform are going to meet next week. We will make time available by altering the Order of Business, if necessary, to ensure that there will be reform in this House and that it will be discussed. If it is blocked here, there is always the alternative that a similar Bill will be moved in Dáil Éireann. If it comes back here and is blocked, it will become law 90 days later. That is what the Constitution states.