Michael McDowell (Independent) | Oireachtas source

First, I endorse warmly the remarks the Cathaoirleach made of congratulation of those involved in the restoration of Leinster House, not least this Chamber itself, and I express my admiration for the work they did. I had the privilege of being shown through it when it was at a very raw stage of rehabilitation and the extraordinary skills that were shown in restoring the House and the extent of the task that faced the contractors was substantial. I thank the members of staff of Oireachtas Éireann and of this House for their courtesy over the past two years.

I propose an amendment to the Order of Business in relation to the statements on the report of the Seanad Reform Implementation Group to delete the proposed time limits of eight and six minutes and to insert instead that all contributions, including that of the Minister, should be limited to 12 minutes. This is an important issue. It is a matter of constitutional importance on which Senators should be entitled to spend some time debating rather than be shoehorned into a very short period of time of six minutes.

In that context, the practice in this House of limiting ourselves in our contributions but then inviting in a Minister who is free to deliver a lengthy tract, which we have the advantage of reading, seeing and hearing at the same time, is undesirable. We run our own business here. I understand the Minister of State, Deputy Phelan, is proposing to come here this evening and he should be limited to the same period of time as the rest of us if he will contribute to this debate, especially in view of the absence to date of any proper response to the report, which has been in the hands of the Government now for so long.