Rebuilding Ireland - Debate on Seanad is a distraction

IF Ireland was not broke we would not consider closing the Seanad, but because we are the €50,000 an hour this ineffective, indulgent — as well as indulged — institution costs when it sits has made its future, all of a sudden, a pressing issue.

Once we were happy to pay for the slapstick but now we can’t afford it and, sustaining the delusion, we seem to have convinced ourselves that axing the Seanad represents the kind of reform this country needs if it is ever to be one we can all be proud of. Up to now we waltzed along pretending that the curious and sometimes entertaining collection of rejected TDs, party glad-handers and gofers, political greenhorns and “independent” voices were making a contribution to the common good and, if they weren’t, “ah shure what harm are they doing?”

Now we’re trying to save all can because when we should have been pushing through political, social and legislative reform we were too busy lecturing Estonians on how to join the EU premiership.