Frank Feighan (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I welcome members of the Robb family to the Chamber - William, his wife, Niamh, and Martha.

I did not know John Robb, but the fact that he was appointed to the Seanad in 1982, in probably the most difficult times in Northern Ireland, the island of Ireland and east-west relations, showed that Charlie Haughey saw the potential in a man of peace who had, as somebody else said, a Rolls Royce mind. Let us look at what happened. He was able to articulate a Northern Ireland unionist voice in a Chamber that many saw as probably hostile to Northern Ireland. It is exactly what is happening here today. One has Senator Marshall who has a unionist perspective - the Senator is very welcome. He brings a voice to this Chamber. I see Senator Ó Donnghaile from Belfast as well, who brings a republican nationalist perspective. That is very important. John Robb would have very much favoured that discourse within this Parliament. There is a great need now to extend those type of parliaments. I note the Senate in Stormont was open until 1972.At the time, in my area in north Roscommon, we had a Senator called Thaddeus Lynch, who served in the Northern Ireland Senate from 1941 to 1949, while at the same time, former Senator Peter Timothy Lynch, his brother, served in that Seanad as well. It is something most people do not even know about. It was only when I was talking to his grandson that he told me about those aspects of these people. I am trying to say that we do not realise the power of relationships and relationship building that has happened in this Seanad since the foundation of the State.

We need many more voices from Northern Ireland in the Seanad because they are very welcome. They challenge a narrative, as John Robb challenged that narrative back in 1982. It was probably a cold house for him to come down to in Dublin in the height of the Troubles. He was a man of principle, a man of peace and a man of huge intellect who was able to overcome the boundaries. People in his community were probably asking him what he was doing selling out and coming down here and recognising this Parliament. At the time, he was also coming into a State that was dominated by the Catholic Church. We did not have the enlightened, pluralist society that we have now. That was important.

Maybe it is time to look at a Northern Ireland senate, to have a second senate like a citizens' assembly. It would provide that space for businessmen and people from all walks of life without having to go through a general election. There is a huge opportunity there. I have seen what has happened and, as I said, I was in Westminster on Monday night. There is a huge generosity on the island of Ireland and there is a huge generosity in the United Kingdom towards Ireland. That could be a second space - an upper house. I know Scotland and Wales only have one chamber but maybe there is an opportunity there to bring people in who would normally not get involved in politics. I see Senator Norris who has been here for many years. He may not have been elected to the Dáil, although I am sure he would be-----