Fintan Warfield (Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

Obviously, I am raging that the amendments have been ruled out of order on the basis of cost - so much for the idea that you cannot put a cost on democracy - but my annoyance and anger does not have any impact on the fact they were ruled out of order. The Government brought forward a Bill that failed to bring about a root-and-branch reform of the Seanad and that also excluded so many graduates. It excluded graduates from the North, which was something we tried to address. If the Government brought forward a good Bill, we would not have needed to amend it from the floor, but the Bill excludes graduates in the South as well as those from Queen's, Ulster University, St. Mary’s University College and the regional colleges in the North.

On cost, the Seanad reform implementation group did address cost at great length. It is the Constitution that requires the Seanad to be elected by a postal vote and therefore in order to mitigate against those costs the Seanad reform implementation group recommended that ordinary post be used for the election. According to the report, it is a safe and effective means for the delivery, and it is significantly less costly than the use of registered post, as currently required by statute for the universities panels. The Seanad reform implementation group did not go about its work without considering the cost. There is also the financial benefit to An Post from the increased electorate that would be associated with each Seanad election. It would provide a significant financial boost to An Post.I am obviously extremely disappointed we cannot discuss our amendments around Northern universities and colleges in the North. My primary political objective has always been the unification of Ireland, the political independence and sovereignty of our country, and territorial unification. This was a chance for the Government to make a meaningful change to include citizens who have university degrees in the North of Ireland and that chance has been missed.

I do not blame the Seanad Office for the fact we cannot discuss that the Bill was tabled without the inclusion of certain universities and colleges in the South and with the exclusion of colleges in the North. That is the blame I place on the Government. That is in addition to the fact I really believe we should be here discussing the Seanad Bill 2020.