Victor Boyhan (Independent) | Oireachtas source

First, I formally ask the Deputy Leader to extend an invitation to the Taoiseach, Deputy Varadkar, to come to the House in the autumn. On 1 February 2018, he visited the Chamber as Taoiseach, spoke in great detail, and gave a very comprehensive and excellent presentation to the House. I was minded to take a look at it yesterday and to print it off on the issue and in the context of Seanad reform. He spoke about his commitment to the Manning report. He also spoke of his commitment to the university panels and said:

The university panels ... [will] be retained as recommended. They have served us well, although they should be reformed to ... [enable the decision] of the 1979 referendum [to be implemented].

He was talking about having a franchise for graduates at all levels. He said the Taoiseach’s 11 nominees should stay in place and that councillors would continue to be able to elect people to the Seanad. I am very supportive of what he was suggesting but I believe we have lost our way a bit.

Senator McDowell and I went to the Supreme Court in the past week to hear the seven Supreme Court judges elaborate further on issues in respect of the franchise for the University of Limerick, UL, and for university graduates. The time for open dialogue and debate is now and it is important we hear the Taoiseach’s plan. I am not critical and I say he made an excellent presentation. He touched many of these issues and we will know on 31 July at the very latest, which is not very far away, what the Supreme Court judges' next steps in this determination will be.

We need to prepare. We will need electronic registers if there is to be change. We are stakeholders on this issue. This is about the future of the Seanad, and while it is to be hoped there will always be a future for the Seanad, we have to be realistic and honest in how we plan to go forward. I suggest to the Deputy Leader that we extend an open invitation to the Taoiseach to come at his convenience - I accept he is a very busy person - to elaborate on anything, which is his privilege, but particularly with regard to his commentary on Seanad reform and the Government’s position. We are all in this together because we want to retain this Seanad but we must also address the concerns of the Supreme Court.