In their first private Member’s Time since being appointed to Seanad Éireann, Green Party Senators Deirdre de Búrca and Dan Boyle have used their Private Member’s time to call for full reform of the Seanad.

According to Senator de Búrca, many members of the public feel that the Seanad lacks power and they don’t really understand what it does.

“In a sense the public is right” she says. “”The Seanad is totally subordinate to the Dáil and is dissolved with every General Election. In addition the legislative process set out in the Irish Constitution gives the Dáil the final say on everything”.

De Búrca says that the method of voting for Senators is completely outdated and has called for a majority of Seanad seats to be filled by direct election by the public. “The public would take more interest in the Seanad if people could actually vote for potential Senators they support” says De Búrca. She says that indirect election of Senators by local councillors should still be allowed, but for a minority of Seanad seats. She has called for Seanad direct elections to be held on the same day as local and European elections every five years.

The Green Party Senator says that the Seanad could be given new powers under the proposed reform process. “For example, a system of public consultation could be put in place in the Seanad to allow for consultation with interested groups and individuals early on in the process of drafting new laws” she says. She has also suggested that the Seanad could play a much more active role in monitoring and debating European Legislation. “It would be great to see Irish MEPs come in and address the Seanad on a regular basis and let us know what is going on in Europe ” she says.

De Búrca says that for Seanad reform to happen, it needs cross-party support. “As Green Party Senators who are committed to delivering on more and better democracy, we want to see all of the political parties support the reform of the Seanad” she says. “Obviously none of us like change, but we owe it to the public to ensure that the democratic institutions that are funded by tax-payer’s money are relevant and make a significant contribution to the political life of this country”.

For further information please contact
Senator Déirdre de Búrca on (086) 806 14 50

Filed under:
Press Release by Deirdre