Paddy Burke (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

-----at an enormous cost to the Exchequer. There are no detailed costs put forward by anybody. I cannot stand over what I believe the costs will be and the imposition they will be on the Irish taxpayer with a reformed Seanad. I support Seanad reform but I believe constitutional change is required for proper reform. We are trying to reform the Seanad without changing the Constitution and I do not believe we can do that. I would support constitutional change to reform Seanad Éireann. However, extending the franchise to Irish citizens in Northern Ireland and throughout the world as well as to people in the State will be an enormous cost to the Exchequer. That is the first issue.