We are pleased to be here. I am accompanied by Mr. Denis Haughey, a former Member of the Assembly, representing Mid-Ulster, and also a Minister in the Office of the First and Deputy First Minister; Ms Carmel Hanna who represents south Belfast in the Assembly and is a former Minister for Employment and Learning and Ms Éilis Haughey, one of our administrative assistants. I am also a former Minister in the Executive.
We very much welcome the opportunity to contribute to the consultation process on possible reforms of Seanad Éireann. In the SDLP's first policy document, published in 1971, entitled, Towards a New Ireland, recommendations were made for a restructured Seanad in which, in particular, an all-Ireland dimension would be explicit. It is in the spirit of that same perspective that we make our contribution to the present discussion. Since the beginning, the SDLP has maintained its interest in and involvement in Seanad Éireann. SDLP members, Seamus Mallon and Bríd Rodgers, have served this House with distinction. Others Northerners such as John Robb, Gordon Wilson and Edward Haughey have also served as has the current Member, Dr. Maurice Hayes, each bringing a distinctive Northern perspective to the deliberations of this House.
More recently, the SDLP made a submission to the Oireachtas review in 1999. While our present submission highlights the all-Ireland dimension, we have not restricted ourselves to that issue. Our submission also addresses the wider functions of Seanad Éireann, its composition and possible modes of election to it. In these opening remarks we will focus on the all-Ireland dimension to its composition, the modes of election and some of its key functions. We are not, surprisingly, extremely anxious that the Seanad should have a fixed all-Ireland dimension to its composition, not one that may or may not exist depending on circumstances and other political exigencies. Since most, but not all, Members of Seanad Éireann have a popular democratic mandate, we also recommend that Members from Northern Ireland should be elected on the basis of a similar mandate. Our submission outlines proposals in this regard. We recognise that there may well be at the present time practical and, possibly, constitutional problems to making this recommendation a reality but believe it should be seriously considered. Therefore, we recommend, as our second preference, the establishment of an electoral college for Northern Ireland which would elect the agreed number of Senators. Such a college, consisting of public representatives to the North's political institutions, would not be faced with the same constitutional or practical obstacles. Should neither our first nor second preference prove possible, we recommend that a fixed number of Senators from Northern Ireland be provided from among those Senators to be nominated by the Taoiseach. Such nominations should take due account of the need for community balance in Northern Ireland.
Turning to the functions of Seanad Éireann, we believe the Seanad has a particularly important contribution to make in scrutinising the work of the Dáil. We further agree that Seanad Éireann, with a new popular legitimacy, should initiate and comment on legislation. Our submission lays particular stress on the context created by the Good Friday Agreement. A new and more positive relationship between North and South is provided for under this Agreement. Already, we see many signs of this relationship emerging in the work of the implementation bodies as well as in other opportunities to work together to the mutual benefit of communities in both parts of our island. Suspension may have slowed the development of some initiatives but the broad thrust of what had been agreed prior to that continues and hopefully will soon be brought to a new level of momentum under restored institutions. We believe Seanad Éireann could play a significant role by bringing such developments to the attention of political representatives here in the South and, through them, to the wider public.
As other aspects of the Good Friday Agreement are put in place, for example, the North-South Parliamentary Body, even closer links can be developed between political institutions in both parts of Ireland. In this new context created by the Good Friday Agreement, Seanad Éireann could contribute significantly to the development of ever closer relationships between our northern and southern communities. It would be an important contribution to the emergence of the agreed Ireland essential to the united Ireland to which we aspire. We also believe Seanad Éireann can play a critical role in reviewing Ireland's European role and relationships as well as its role and relationships on the worldwide stage.
We thank the members of the sub-committee for this opportunity to appear before them and trust that in the not too distant future we can invite them and all other Members of Seanad Éireann to visit and engage with us in the restored institutions of the Good Friday Agreement. Go raibh maith agat.