Lisa Chambers (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I agree with the motion that has been tabled before the House. I thank and commend Senator McDowell on bringing the issue to our attention. I think it might have passed us by had it not been highlighted by our colleague. The message that I think will be clear from probably every speaker is that there was no consultation. We were not consulted on this. It is a facility for the Oireachtas for both Houses. I think it says a lot about the Oireachtas if there is not going to be a library facility and a reading room in what we currently have. What type of Parliament do we want? Surely we should be encouraging the use of facilities like that, as opposed to removing access to them. I genuinely feel for the librarians, who have given fantastic service. It is a very sorry way to be treated in terms of the role that they play here and the value that they have.

I am not sure where we go from here and what actions we take out of this motion. I might suggest that it could be a matter to put on the agenda of the Committee on Parliamentary Privileges and Oversight, CPPO, for further discussion. Certainly, to my knowledge it was not discussed at the CPPO, which is where we have all of our discussions around matters concerning this House and decisions of that nature. That certainly needs to be addressed. I completely concur with Senator McDowell's remarks that it is not reasonable, nor is it okay, for one House to make a decision affecting the other House without consultation.The same would not happen in reverse, nor would it be allowed, and there should be due respect given to both Houses of the Oireachtas. I place on record my support and I am fairly certain all of the Fianna Fáil Senators have given support to this motion. Had it not been for the work of Senator McDowell, many of us would not have been aware as to what had happened. An interesting point was raised around the ripping up of floorboards and if that was compliant with the planning laws. Certainly, it seems as though there might have been a morelaissez-faireapproach taken to adhering to those things inside Leinster House and there are questions to be answered in that regard. It may seem like a minor thing to those looking in. It may seem as though it is irrelevant but it matters in the Oireachtas that Members are consulted on facilities like this and on decisions taken that affect the Members. Decisions should not be taken for us and on our behalf without us being told about them or being asked for our views. It might be the Library today; what will it be tomorrow and what will happen further down the line? There has to be a healthy respect for one another in these Houses, from Oireachtas staff members to how we run the Houses, and also for the Members who work in this House. The decisions taken today matter. Whenever we all leave this House, there will be new Senators and TDs coming in. It is important we maintain those facilities for future generations as well and that this is an Oireachtas where we can be proud of the facilities offered. It sends a bad or wrong message that we do not value this type of facility. The Library reading room is an important part of the offering in Leinster House and it is widely valued by all Members. Certainly, I have not heard one Member speak in support of the removal of the Library and its staff. I heard the plan was to allow it be an additional committee room, as and when is needed, or an event space. If that is the proposal, that is quite worrying. There is no reason why the Library - a bit like the Seanad Chamber - cannot, on occasion, be used for event purposes. That already happens so there is no need to remove the facilities that are there. It can still be used as an event space. As it stands, we are reasonably tight for committee space but every committee gets its slot, the place works fine, and we are all accommodated. That is not a huge challenge currently and, as I understand it, there are no proposals to add any new committees so I am not sure why the extra room is needed. Some of the rationale for this proposal does not really makes sense to many of us and the reasoning behind it is not properly explained. I will finish on this question. Who is making the decisions and who should be making the decisions? The lack of consultation on this has really irked Members and has got people's backs up for the reasons I have outlined. I commend the motion to the House. I am happy to support it on behalf of the Fianna Fáil group. I thank Senator McDowell for tabling the motion and for giving us an opportunity to have our say and put our views on the record. It is the first time we had an opportunity to say how we felt about this issue of the Library reading room.