Fintan Warfield (Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

Before Christmas, members of the Seanad reform implementation group published a report with legislation about how to give effect to the proposals in the Manning report. The legislation proposed alongside the report, if implemented, would mean a radical change in all of the elections that we face, and it would be a damning indictment of all Senators if we fail to commence that legislative process in reforming this House in this Government term. There is a clear appetite for reform. During Question Time last week, the Taoiseach indicated that not only had the Cabinet failed to discuss the report, but that he was not in favour of the proposals and then he failed to give a commitment about when the Seanad Bill would be brought forward. He also stated that Sinn Féin dissented on the report, which was not the case. Sinn Féin fully endorsed the report and we think it could go further. There was a general indifference from An Taoiseach when he was discussing the report and a lack of willingness to endorse the proposals and to bring them forward. I am reminded that yesterday the Leader accused Sinn Féin of having no sense of how to fix or solve anything and that we do not accept responsibility. No party engaged more in Seanad reform in the preparation of that Bill than Sinn Féin did so the Government should bring the Bill forward and we will see which parties are destructive. It will be those who oppose political reform-----