Vincent P Martin (Green Party) | Oireachtas source

I am one of many who campaigned to retain the House. At that time I did not realise I would later become a Member of the House. I have witnessed the House in operation up close and realise the great, invaluable work we do under the radar, but also the huge, unfulfilled potential. Naturally, I welcome any reform. Reform comes drippingly slow.

The irony is not lost on me that we start to reform the most democratic cohort of the Seanad first. The reality is not lost on me either that it is the result of a High Court challenge where the Attorney General had to appear before the High Court and explain why he is not reflecting and upholding a judgment. I would not be in the mood for back-slapping for this singular reform, although I welcome every reform particularly in here because it happens so slowly.

The Bill has such potential to be generous and to give graduates the vote, to go North and South with the votes and reach out to as many constituencies as possible. This is a step in the right direction.

On the bigger point, I regret to say as a member of a party in government, the Government has flunked an opportunity to be the first Government, after consecutive Governments' paralysis turning their backs on this. If I was to do this again I would definitely go into Government; we got the best green deal ever. I know where the Minister of State stands on this in a private capacity and I know the position he is in today where he has to uphold a Government policy and I respect that. He is doing that very well. It is one thing that got away from the Greens, that we did not insist on proper, substantial reform of these Houses as a red-line issue. I know we tried very hard. This is a step in the right direction but it is being precipitated by the court forcing our hand. I am sure people will believe it when they see it and believe in action and not words. I hope the next Government will be the first one to transform this House. This House not only has such potential. It has exciting, real and transformative potential which will serve our people and democracy to a much bigger, more positive effect.

Much of what happens in here does so under the radar. I am privileged to have introduced so many Bills and one of those Bills is going through the House, successfully, this afternoon. I know we all hear that this House is less adversarial but an example of the teamwork on that Bill, the cross-party support and the collaboration that happens in this House I am told does not happen to the same extent in the Lower House.

It is with a sense of irony we are doing what we are doing today. It is a shame there is not more substantive reform and we are picking on the one and only area where people have a franchise. As previously said, that electorate could go up to almost a million, while a cohort of less than 1,000 - three figures - have so many ballot papers in their hands. This Bill is missing a message. It is not connecting with the public in that sense and to be truly connected and be truly more effective the public must have a greater sense of participation and ownership of this wonderful House.