Constitution convention may examine Seanad role

The Government will consider referring the future role of the Seanad to the Convention on the Constitution after the electorate decided in a referendum to retain the upper house.

Taoiseach Enda Kenny has been asked by convention chairman Tom Arnold to extend the period of the convention by three months until March. This could give the 100-member panel of politicians and citizens enough time to examine the Seanad’s future.

Mr Kenny has yet to respond to the letter, which he received in August. The Oireachtas originally gave the convention eight issues to consider, up until December, the last of which is the subject of removing the issue of blasphemy from the Constitution. This will be debated next month.