Ministers ‘scratching heads’ on how to proceed: Rabbitte

Ministers admit the referendum result has left them “scratching their heads” over how to reform the Seanad.

Communications Minister Pat Rabbitte suggested another referendum on the role upper house may be needed to sort the situation out as he said the Coalition now had an “obligation” to overhaul the Seanad.

Mr Rabbitte also questioned Taoiseach Enda Kenny’s refusal to engage more vigorously in the campaign via a live TV debate.

He said Mr Kenny “probably should have” taken part in such a debate with Fianna Fáil leader Micheal Martin.

Pressed on whether Mr Kenny’s controversial dismissal of head-to-head debates could have impacted on the result of the referendum, Mr Rabbitte said: “Who knows? It may. The margin was wafer-thin.”

Mr Rabbitte indicated that the Government was unsure about how to proceed after the surprise rejection of abolishing the upper house.

“My own view is that Government has to take as an indication that we have to try and reform the Seanad,” he said.

“I have to say I am scratching my head about what that means because reform came on the agenda after it became clear that a referendum on abolition was inevitable, for the previous 70 years we haven’t a good record.

“I don’t know, without another referendum, how we are going to reform it because we don’t need to replicate the Dáil, we can’t have a second Dáil. How do you make the Seanad relevant?”

Mr Rabbitte said that it would be right to put the future of the Seanad into the constitutional convention of politicians and citizens examining various aspects of political reform.

“The people wanted to maintain the institution and, therefore, we have an obligation to seek to reform it,” he said. “But it will take some discussion and some debate about how that reform can be done within the constraints of the Constitution and without another referendum.”

Despite consistently saying during the campaign that reform of the upper house was not an option if voters decided to retain it, Mr Kenny insisted he needed time to “reflect” on the outcome of the vote which saw his proposal rejected by 52%-48%.

Mr Kenny acknowledged he had been given a bloody nose by voters.

“Sometimes in politics you get a wallop in the electoral process. I accept the verdict of the people,” he said.

Mr Kenny said he would now consider referring the matter to the constitutional convention.

“The people decided Seanad Éireann should be retained,” he said. “Naturally I was personally disappointed, but I fully respect and accept the outcome.”