Seanad reform - Democratic deficit damns upper house

The campaign in relation to the proposed abolition of the Seanad got underway in earnest yesterday, with the launching of the One House group calling on the electorate to ratify the 32nd amendment of the Constitution on Oct 4.

Chaired by Kieran Mulvey, chief executive of the Labour Relations Committee, the group includesformer ministers Alan Dukes of Fine Gael and Barry Desmond of the Labour Party.

While the rival group advocating the retention of the Seanad calls itself Democracy Now, Mr Mulvey called for the Seanad’s abolition in the interest of democracy, because it is elected by just over 1,000 politicians, and some 50,000 university graduates who have a vote in the election of the senators from the universities.