Jerry Buttimer (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I have no notion of resigning. Not at this occasion, anyway.

I join with Senator O’Loughlin in commending my colleague and friend, Senator Malcolm Byrne, on this very important and appropriate Private Members’ Bill on Seanad electoral reform - if I can use that use that dreaded term, “Seanad reform” - to expand the franchise. He is right that it is time we did it. As Senator O’Loughlin said, Seanad reform has been an ongoing, rolling debate for decades in this country.The debate has been fractious at times. There has been little or no uniform agreement and we have had a myriad of reports published. I think that this is the one area where we can find common ground in bringing reform. I welcome the road map to this extension of the franchise.

It would be appropriate to have the Bill passed, given that we have seen a whole new suite of technological universities established, in particular Munster Technological University, MTU, in Cork. As Senator O'Loughlin said, it is wrong that we differentiate between graduates in their being allowed this franchise as part of the Seanad election process. We can argue as to how the new electors will be included, how we will be able to administer the system and how we will be able to ensure that people register. That is all part of what we can do; it is not a roadblock. That should not be a stumbling block to this legislation being enacted. We can find very simple ways of doing that, in my opinion. I support wholeheartedly the inclusion of graduates from the technological and other universities who have been excluded until now. We must broaden the electoral base, extend the franchise and create an opportunity for the graduates of our new technological universities. To that end, I highlight again the importance of MTU in the context of this debate. I congratulate the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science, Deputy Harris, and the Minister of State, Deputy Niall Collins, on the bedding-in period in respect of MTU in Cork and Tralee.

I have one slight deviation to the debate to take in respect of St. Patrick's Pontifical University, Maynooth, which awards degrees, including postgraduate degrees. In the context of this debate, would there be merit in the inclusion of graduates of that university? Those graduates do not come under the remit of the NUI but, nonetheless, are awarded degrees. It would be important to have that broader discussion again, but I will not delay the Bill.

In the context of education, I pay tribute to the John Bruton Government in which Niamh Bhreathnach was Minister for Education. She created a pathway for people who could not previously access third level education to avail of it. I commend Ruairí Quinn, Richard Bruton and Joe McHugh, who are past Ministers for Education. Now, with the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science, we see third level education represented at the Cabinet table as a stand-alone Ministry, and rightly so.

I commend the Minister of State on his initiative today. I wholeheartedly support the Bill.