INISHOWEN Councillor
Charlie McConalogue has called for a referendum on
election day to abolish the Seanad.
Cllr McConalogue who hopes to contest the
forthcoming election for Fianna Fáil said all
parties should get together to agree the detail for
a referendum to abolish the Seanad so people can
have their say on polling day.
"I am not saying that individual senators do not
work hard because many do but the Seanad as it is
currently constituted does not perform a
sufficiently distinct purpose in national politics
and therefore should not be continued in its current
form," said the Gleneely-based councillor. |
"Most political parties
are now agreed on the fact that the Seanad is not
effective and is far too costly for what it does. I
can’t therefore see the point in going ahead and
electing another Seanad after the General Election
if parties are agreed on abolishing it. If parties
are genuine in the positions they hold then there is
no excuse for not co-operating and having a
referendum prepared for an expected polling day in
March."
Without a change to the Constitution through the
passing of a referendum, a new Seanad would have be
re-elected within 90 days of the General Election. |
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Councillor Charlie McConalogue |
"This would mean it
could continue for another five years at a cost of
€25 million to the public which is not justified
when it is not performing a meaningful role," added
the local councillor.
"If the Seanad is abolished then consideration can
be given as part of wider reforms of the political
system to reconstituting a second house of
parliament that would serve a meaningful role.
"However reform is much more likely to happen if the
Seanad is abolished first as if it is re-elected
there is likely to be little urgency among its
membership to bring about genuine reforms. After all
there has been 12 different reform reports adopted
by the Seanad over 83 years but next to none acted
upon," he added. |
