Seanad reform: The introduction of a list system of election for the Seanad could pave the way for a similar improvement in the method of election to the Dáil, Dr Edward Walsh, former president of the University of Limerick, yesterday told the Seanad subcommittee considering reform of the upper house.
"Were the Irish electorate to gain satisfactory exposure to the PR list or AMS systems through the Seanad electoral process then subsequent adoption of such systems for Dáil elections could become a realistic possibility," he said.
Dr Walsh cautioned that provision for Seanad members from Northern Ireland should not be made if such provision was likely to be interpreted by the majority there "as a new formal constitutional provocation by the Republic".
An appropriate number of nominated members should ensure that the government of the day had a working majority in the upper chamber under normal circumstances. Nominated members should be appointed by the President on the advice of the Taoiseach.
Criticising the Fianna Fáil submission, Mr Joe O'Toole (Ind) said it could be described only as a lesson in protectionism. Overall, it was not proposing to change the election of the main body of the Seanad by county councillors.
"We are exploring radical solutions to making this House more amenable to public opinion and to greater understanding," he said. There must be a case for expanding the electorate.
Mr Tim Dooley (FF) said that whatever approach was taken it must ensure that there was no conflict between the chambers of the Oireachtas by having the same electorates.
The leader of the house, Ms Mary O'Rourke, said that how people got to the Seanad was almost a total mystery to the electorate. One of their duties was to make the chamber more transparent and more open to the wider electorate.
Mr Bernard Allen (FG) said the system of having 11 nominations by the Taoiseach to the Seanad smacked of feudalism.
Ms O'Rourke said that set against what was going to happen in the House of Lords the approach currently taken here was very mild.
A whole lot of "cronyism and Tonyism" was beginning to emerge across the water.