Senators backing abolition maintain they have mandate

Senators who demanded voters sweep away the “dysfunctional” upper house insist they still have a mandate to serve in the chamber they discredited.

Despite insisting the Seanad was elitist and beyond reform, Government senators have now called for the body to be overhauled.

Sinn Féin senator Kathryn Reilly said her party had not been divided over whether to join forces with the Government and call for the Seanad to be abolished.

“I don’t think that there was disharmony in Sinn Féin,” said Ms Reilly. “The position was very clear. We have always said that the Seanad in its current form should be abolished. It was elitist and I would hope that the package of reforms to come reflects those problems that we have seen.”

“The people have spoken, this is the will of the people and we have to accept that. I am concerned, however, about the low voter turnout and I think that needs to be a cause for concern for all political parties that people did not feel connected enough with the referendum to come out in numbers and vote,” the senator said.”

Independent senator Rónán Mullen, who was elected on the limited franchise of NUI graduates, said the Seanad could not return to “business as usual” after widespread calls for reform.

“I’d be disgusted if politicians stopped talking about reform or if senators went back to thinking we can go on as before. It will never be business as usual again,” he said.

Labour senator Ivana Bacik, who campaigned to keep the upper house, said the matter should now be decided by the Constitutional Convention of politicians and citizens.

“I believe there was a great deal of people who engaged with the ideas in the last few days and wanted to keep the Seanad,” she said.

Fellow Labour senator Jimmy Harte attacked the Taoiseach for putting forward the abolition idea at a Fine Gael party dinner in 2009.

With the poll estimated to have cost around €14m, Mr Harte said it had been the most expensive dinner in history.

Fine Gael senators who backed abolition said the institution was still legitimate because it had been endorsed by voters and the will of the people must be listened to.

Fianna Fáil senator Mark Daly insisted everybody should get a vote in Seanad elections, as well as Irish citizens overseas and in the North, so it would really be a more representative chamber in future.