Alice-Mary Higgins (Independent) | Oireachtas source

I propose an amendment to the Order of Business: "That No. 21 be taken before No. 1." The Civil Engagement Group is proposing the introduction of the Electoral Reform (Amendment) and Miscellaneous Provisions Bill 2023 to address some of the gaps in the mandate that was given to the Electoral Commission. When the 2022 Act was progressing through the House, I and colleagues raised deep concerns regarding the glaring absence of Seanad reform from the mandates and tasks being allocated to this new and very welcome commission. Promises of reform were made in the previous Oireachtas. On the first day of that Oireachtas, we brought forward a Bill on Seanad reform. We were asked to put it aside and to sit on a cross-party group to put forward collective cross-party legislation. Along with Senator McDowell and others, I introduced the legislation that came out of that cross-party group in 2020 in order to ensure that every citizen would have a vote in electing the Members of this House. That Bill has been delayed. We were told the Government would address it with the Electoral Reform Act but when that Act came and the Electoral Commission established, the Seanad and Seanad reform were ostentatiously missing. This Bill seeks to address some of the gaps in the functions of the Electoral Commission to ensure it can undertake a review of the electoral system and, crucially, the franchise of the Seanad. The public votes in 1979 and 2013 have been ignored by the Government for too long. The Electoral Commission must be empowered and supported to consider this Chamber of the Oireachtas, which deals with half the legislative process. The Bill would also address two crucial issues that have been raised by our group in the past. The first is the legislation and proposals put forward by my colleague, Senator Ruane, in respect of a clear definition of the meaning of "political purposes" within the Electoral Act.This is an issue which the Standards in Public Office Commission has itself identified as needing to be addressed. The Government again promised to do this in the Electoral Reform Act but failed to do so. This will also look to some of the issues around the age of voting and franchise. I am looking forward to engaging constructively with Members across the House and with the Government on these proposals.

I will finish by echoing some of the points made by Senator Boylan previously which are that Ireland's neutrality has been very misframed, sadly, by the leadership of this Government as somehow being an opting out, stepping back or a passive position, when in fact neutrality is an active role. Neutrality has allowed us to be champions on international law and has allowed us to be credible actors on disarmament. Being neutral is not not caring, as it has been framed. We hear the phrase that we are not neutral on this and international law is talked about. Or, we had the very worrying statement from the Taoiseach that we are not neutral but that we have always been on side of the West. What is very clear is that neutrality is about being on the side of humanity, in favour of international law and international justice for all. That is what has given us our strength and it is very regrettable to see it misrepresented by the leadership of this Government.