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Updated 6.42pm
GOVERNMENT SENATORS HAVE criticised the coalition and insisted they are not blame for the upper house sitting for less than two days this week.
Senators convened for the first time this week earlier this afternoon, but will adjourn for the week tomorrow evening with only one piece of legislation – the Road Traffic Bill – due to be debated this week.
It’s the third time since last year’s referendum to abolish the Seanad that the chamber has sat for just two days and this evening Sinn Féin senator David Cullinane claimed he and his colleagues have been informed that this may continue in the weeks ahead.
“This is an absolute disgrace and gives the impression the Seanad is full of dossers who show up now and then,” he said, adding the situation “is outrageous” and that he knows of no other job “where people can show up for work for two day (sic) and still receive their full pay.”
Earlier, Labour senators John Kelly, John Whelan and Denis Landy hit out at the government for, in their view, ignoring the result of last October’s referendum in failing to bring sufficient business before the upper house.
Landy said the current situation is not acceptable and that it is up to the government and particularly the chief whip to “take action to stop this ridiculous scenario”.
‘Spirit of reform’
Whelan said that the two-day sitting is “entirely at odds with the spirit of reform” and added: “It appears that some elements within Government have not fully accepted or embraced the will of the people in that referendum result.
“The Seanad cannot put in place even three sitting days as normal this week as there is no legislation forthcoming from the Dáil or any Ministers available to take debates on policy, pending legislation or important public consultations.”
His concerns are shared by Kelly who said said the Seanad is being “under-utilised by our archaic political process” and warned that the lack of legislative business now means that bills will be rushed through when the current term is coming to an end.
“To not have legislation lined up for the Seanad, just three weeks after our Christmas recess, inevitably means that come Easter we will again have four-day sittings, late-night sittings, guillotining, and the return of the béte noire of Irish politics, ‘rushed legislation’,” he said.
Barrister and political commentator Noel Whelan, a member of the Democracy Matters group which advocates reform of the chamber, said that the fault for the lack of legislative business before the Seanad falls to the government.
“The government hasn’t introduced one procedural change since the referendum. It’s a classic tactic of running the clock down in the hope that people forget about reform by the time of the next election,” he said.
Taoiseach promises changes
The Seanad began its week with its usual Order of Business at 2.30pm when senators raise anything and everything, before Justice Minister Alan Shatter heard statements on the charities sector prior to Matters on the Adjournment.
Tomorrow a full day’s work includes statements on EU Affairs, a motion regarding changes to standing orders ahead of the forthcoming banking inquiry, and consideration of the Road Traffic Bill.
Labour senators have a private members motion on homelessness before Social Protection Minister Joan Burton hears statements on the implementation of the Youth Guarantee. After Matters on the Adjournment the Seanad adjourns for the week and will not return until next Tuesday.
Speaking in the Dáil earlier, Taoiseach Enda Kenny said he would bring legislative proposals to give the right to vote in Seanad elections to all third-level graduates to Cabinet next week and promised that “we are certainly going to increase work rate” of senators.
“I see a full week’s programme here for the Seanad not once in a blue moon, but once every week,” he insisted.
The government chief whip could not immediately be reached for comment this afternoon.
First published 2.09pm
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Part time,flexi time,day on day off,.
Do these boys have to sign on when they are not working???.
They have it sown up in there.
Who says “all good things must come to an end” ???
Think Fine Gael/Labour’s effort at reforming the Oireachtas as part of their self-proclaimed “Democratic Revolution” has been extremely disappointing and a major let down for the public. Not only have they failed to deliver the badly needed reform but they have actually done a 180′ degree turn and are more often found defending the status quo rather than challenging it.
Between their lazy attempt at reforming the Seanad by abolition, and now refuse to take any meaningful attempts of reforming it, their disregard for the Dáil and the democratic due process, record number of guillotining bills, 3 hours to discuss over €600m Health budget cuts, and their increased unhealthy concentration of power through the 4 member Economic Management Council, have been more regressive steps in the wrong direction.
- They reduced (slightly) the size of the Dáil.
- They are abolishing the majority of town councils & reforming many county councils.
- They asked the people if they wanted to be rid of the Senate, the people declined.
- Oireacthas committees have been beefed up despite the people declining giving them further powers.
Can you please tell me what recent government has done more to reform how the state runs….
Please, which government?
No ranting
Just the facts.
Thanks.
They promised to significantly reduce Dáil numbers – then after election they ‘realized” they could only reduce it by 8 due to Constitutional restraints. If they knew it all along or they were completely incompetent.
How are they reforming county councils? They are reducing number of Cllr’s but local Government in Ireland still has zero effective power. Again going back on promises made to the electorate.
Regarding Seanad the public declined to get rid of the Seanad in favor of a reformed Seanad as part of a reformed Oireachtas, something the Government have undeniably failed to produce.
Yes they have beefed up the Oireachtas committees, a welcome development however how many are making serious progress, the only 1 making significant advancements is the Public Accounts Committee, incidentally being Chaired by an Opposition TD.
This Government got elected on a mandate to reform, they gave huge commitments to see that through and many many promises. Most have which have fallen through.
Not ranting, just pointing out the facts. very disappointing ones.
“3 hours to discuss over €600m Health budget cuts” … as opposed to your lot’s 440bn over night job? They are bad – not just as bad as what went before them. FF and FG really need to go away forever.
“Regarding Seanad the public declined to get rid of the Seanad in favor of a reformed Seanad…”
no they didn’t … that wasn’t the question asked and you know it – stop being an idiot.
Fair points made Enda, I don’t disagree.
Vis-à-vis local governance I also would also love to see a massive reduction in how counties running is overwhelmingly dominated by the unelected County Manager.
However my original question stands….
What government has done more?
Some progress is better than the zero delivered by FF.
Agree re local governance; County Managers also on huge salaries.
Almost every Government regardless of who is on power, has progressed the quality of life enjoyed by its citizens. My point is that this particular Government highlighted reform as a major part of its election manifesto (arguably more so than any before), also there was an unprecedented demand for reform by the electorate. In the context of those demands and the promises issued, this Government has failed to deliver on those commitments. Previous Governments did not make such large scale promises of reform or the sheer quantity. Sure, Governments have failed to deliver reform before, but not as this scale, considering what we where promised pre election.
Enda – no matter what you say – you are part of the problem. From the day Dev led the walkout to plunge the country into civil war.
Agree re local governance; County Managers also on huge salaries” … how was this tackled by your party? Benchmarking? please inform us. You nit pick about the current government when your leader signed up to a 4 year deal when he know he couldn’t follow it through Had he called an election there might be some come back. But no. Party before country. Love reading your comments … lest we forget.
FF & FG are both tired, family based, corrupt organisations. 100k members between who have failed the country. Time for the 4.4million to cop on.
It might not be their fault but that doesn’t make them any more useful.
QED. A total waste of space!
We get what we vote for.
Exactly the apathy of the Irish electorate allowed less than 20 % of the country to save this waste of an assembly.
And no meaningful reform ia likely during the life time of this government.
And to think that we had a chance to get rid!
How does one secure a job in this Seanad?
Good to see Enda and co are ensuring we the Irish tax payer are getting value for money following our vote in the referendum. His claim to be willing to work with the senate can be filed away with his claims of transparent government, accountability and seismic shifts. Remember his lack of respect for the electorate come the next election.
What else was going to happen but this.
By its very nature the Senate will always be just a side show talking shop, they are the world over.
If it was reformed it still would not pass a vote.
Well, he asked us of we wanted to keep or get rid.
We said “Keep”.
Well said Jeremy – we did say we wanted it so now we can pay for it. Just hope the people who voted to keep it are happy with their decision.
I cannot believe that you people cannot see the obvious political game being played by Enda cause he didn’t get his way?
Don’t blame the senators.
Offtheball I’m happy with how I voted I’m just unhappy with Enda that he is ignoring the democratic will of the people to keep the senate and is not using it. As the article says it is up to the government to provide the work for the senate. Something Enda and his mates appear unwilling to do.
Every bill that faces the Dáil also faces the senate.
If the upper house is finding itself underemployed. What’s going on in the lower house?
I voted for the abolition of the sean ad the people who voted to keep it will read this article and wonder why,Ireland only has itself to blame
You got to vote, didn’t work out how you’d have liked, but that democracy get over it.
We are over it.
It doesn’t mean we have to love the Senate, in all its ineptitude.
No one asked you to love it, as I said get over it and move on.
Ha ha
One thing I did agree with Edna on was to scrap it
If they had called for it be kept then people would have scrapped it.
There are a lot of immature people here.
Didn’t help that Enda was afraid to debate his proposal. Tbh.
What a waste of space the whole thing is.
Reform and transparency me a…..
Has anybody seen my pants
Tumble dryer.
We had the opportunity to get rid of these losers but the people said no. Good luck to them let them enjoy their five and a half days off.
About 20% said no. Pity that quite a few voted no as a protest against the government.
No point in moaning about it now . The opportunity was there to get rid of it a few months ago in the referendum. The people have decided – so we are stuck with it now.
Every body who voted to keep. It. A big well done.
Should you not be blaming Enda’s government? After all they are the people meant to be providing legislation for the senate to review.
Yep. Enda conned all you yes voters. The lefties were falling over themselves to give it to Kenny up the jacksie. Well he didn’t give a sh1t one way or the other on the issue.
The Seanad is a useful part time job for those with nothing better to do. Run through it says in the papers and something else which is usually of a pork barrel nature. Nice expenses and trip to Dublin for the unemployable failed Dail member. But the people voted to keep it, so carry on, all is fine.Ye’re doing grand.
have your say