Victor Boyhan (Independent) | Oireachtas source

I join other Senators in thanking the Chair, the Seanad Office, all the staff of the Communications Unit, particularly Mr. Mark Mulqueen and Ms Verona Ní Bhroinn, and all others involved in organising the events of today. It was a fabulous achievement. We were asked to film a little bit afterwards and to give a sound bite, and I was particularly happy to be able to say both Ms Mary Robinson and Senator Norris have been two remarkable Senators. Ms Robinson was an Independent Senator, just as Senator Norris is today. It was interesting that Ms Robinson, having served three or four terms as an Independent Senator, became a Labour Party Senator. David Norris has been a Senator continuously since he was first elected. Ms Robinson was elected in 1969 and Senator Norris in 1987. What a remarkable story. I thank the Chair. I hope we will have a really exciting year of celebration. I know I speak for everyone in saying that there is not a day on which we come in here without being conscious of the enormous privilege it is to represent the people in the Houses of the Oireachtas, particularly the Seanad.

There was to be a motion taken in the House this week on a Dublin citizens' assembly. In fairness to the Leader, she contacted all of us to say it would be deferred for a week. Between now and then, I do not want to talk about the motion or the substantive issue but to highlight two or three concerns. We have 183 councillors in Dublin: 63 in Dublin City Council, 40 in Fingal County Council, 40 in South Dublin County Council, and 40 in Dún Laoghaire–Rathdown County Council. It is important that we have a system. The proposed amendment suggested 12 councillors. How does one select 12 councillors from that total? I simply do not know. More important, I am anxious that we represent people across the board, of all parties and none. Perhaps the D'Hondt system could be used, but that is a matter for councillors. I am also concerned about gender. If the Minister is suggesting there are only going to be 12 people out of 183, it is a bit silent about gender and how we are selecting them. I think we should fight for a bigger majority. Remember these sitting county councillors are politicians too and they are in the Minister's party and everyone else's parties or are Independent. We need a better deal for them. We want them at the heart of a citizens' assembly.

The issue of a mayor is another one about which I am concerned. I am not concerned about the mayor but the motion talks about having regard to an independent mayor. The people of Dublin rejected a directly elected mayor among the four councils, although one or two of them accepted it. It was scrapped so we need to be clear. If we are having a citizens' assembly, we need an open debate and to let the assembly decide what it wants to do. Let us not preordain the outcome. Perhaps we might reflect on that in the next few days. How will we get gender representation in this group and how will we have representation among city and county councillors?