Fine Gael Seanad leader to vote against its abolition

The Coalition’s efforts to abolish the Seanad faces an embarrassing setback after Fine Gael’s Seanad leader, Maurice Cummins, said he opposed the campaign and insisted the upper house should be retained.

As the Fine Gael parliamentary party meets in Co Laois yesterday and today for its annual “think-in”, Mr Cummins said the Oct 4 vote on whether or not to get rid of the Seanad could be a lot closer than people think.

Despite his party driving ahead with its campaign, Mr Cummins said he would not be lobbying voters either way on the issue and will be voting against the referendum.

“I will be voting no,” he told Waterford Local Radio. “I believe that the Senate should be retained, I will not be coming out canvassing on the issue in respect to my party.

“I believe that the Seanad is there to improve and enhance legislation and already this year there’s over 500 amendments to legislation in the Seanad. For that reason, and many other reasons, I believe that it should be retained.

“I think Fine Gael senators reserve the right when we go into the ballot box to do what we wish to do and I think it will be a lot closer than the opinion polls are suggesting at the present time.”

Joking afterwards, Mr Cummins quipped that he had put his “neck on the block” by publicly speaking about his opposition to abolishing the Seanad.

Meanwhile, Finance Minister Michael Noonan has revealed the adjustment for Budget 2014 will be between the €2.5bn and the €3.1bn figure set by the troika.

“I mean, €2.5bn is still a very tough budget,” he said. “So somewhere between €2.5bn and €3bn is the adjustment and that’s a very tough budget.”

However, he said Ireland was close to exiting the bailout and now was “no time for slacking”.

“All I can say to the people is that we are coming towards the end and we’d want to keep with it now,” he said. “We’re like a hurling team we’re five points ahead going into the last quarter and we need to close out the game. Now is no time for slacking.”

His comments will come as some relief to Labour which has argued the Government should be adjusting below the €3.1bn, yet still stick to the troika target of 5.1% of GDP.