Keep party interest out of Seanad constituency

I have been interested to read reports recently that the Minister for Environment Phil Hogan has prepared legislation for a partial reform of the Senate and apparently presented this to cabinet.

I welcome any move, however small, in the direction of reform of the Seanad, but I consider it a curious form of consultation as proposed by the Taoiseach that he should have agreed to meet the leaders of the different groups within the Senate, including myself, apparently now after the discussion on the Bill will already have started in the Dáil. This is not a very good harbinger for the future.

I have already expressed concern that the expansion from under 200,000 to what I then estimated to 500,000 voters would make this a quite problematic constituency. I understand now from reliable sources that the Government’s own figures are 750,000 voters. This will have the effect of favouring those of us who have a high profile, and that, and the cost of electioneering, will seriously disadvantage the new blood the Senate certainly needs.