Jerry Buttimer (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

Senator Norris will want to retain the Trinity panels. Others have a different viewpoint. There are Members here who want to retain the vocational panels in their entirety. I am of the view that it is time to reform the vocational panels and have a wider vote by the people. I might be signing my political downfall and the end my membership or whatever but I hope to be elected elsewhere at the next general election. How do we eliminate the elitist attitude that exists to the Seanad? Is it by going down the road outlined by Senator McDowell or others? Is it by having complete constitutional reform?

Let us consider what we do at the moment in terms of our business. We have general debates, legislation, debates on committee reports, departmental debates and Private Members' business but no Question Time. We do not hold Ministers to account, which is a fundamental part of what we should be about in the future.

County councillors take their role as the electorate very seriously. I might get slagged here for saying so. Members of county and city councils engage and take their job seriously.

We all want to see checks and balances. I do not believe, as Senator McDowell said, that there would be no checks and balances if the Seanad was abolished. The Lower House provides certain check but I agree with him that we need to have a Seanad that provides checks and balances.

We have been well served by our Brexit committee and the Seanad public consultation committee. They are examples of what we can do. The Manning report mentioned other areas at which we should look.

I do not agree with the Sinn Féin proposition to abolish the Taoiseach's nominees. Irrespective of who the Taoiseach is, and Senator McDowell is partly right, there should be independence as well.

My party's report said that the electoral registration process is complicated and that could lead to difficulties. I very much share the view expressed by Senator McDowell in the report in terms of the downloading of ballot papers and the integrity of the ballot paper. That element is important. I agree with the Minister of State "that ballot papers and combined election literature would have to be sent to a significantly higher number of electors". He also made a point about cost. That is an element we have to debate as well. It should not be the be all and end all but there is a need to consider how much a reformed electoral system will cost.

The Minister of State said he was not convinced about parallel registers, one for Seanad elections and one for the other elections. That is something we need to consider as well. We need an electoral commission, which I hope that he can expedite.

I will conclude by saying that I speak not in war but in peace. I commend Senator McDowell on his clarion call to the people of Ireland but shame on him for turning the issue into a political football. He should not have done that. I hope that the people of Ireland, if they get the opportunity, will return this Government at the next election, whether that takes place this year or next year. The report has done this House and the Oireachtas a great deal of service. I thank Senator McDowell for chairing it and the Members for their participation.