I have a few things to say in connection with this motion. First of all, I should like to point out that any criticism I may have to offer of this appointment is not in a personal sense. I have the greatest respect for Senator Moylan as a soldier. I have the greatest respect for his record in helping, in times gone by, to achieve the limited political freedom that obtains in this part of Ireland to-day.
You, Sir, as Ceann Comhairle, will appreciate the fact that a motion in my name on the Order Paper deals with the Seanad and calls upon this House to abolish it. The present appointment is being made from the Seanad. I should like to get this very clear. It seems extraordinary to me that at a time when Fianna Fáil's strength is at its greatest, at a time when they have more Deputies in this House than ever before, the Taoiseach finds it impossible to select from that huge number of successful candidates a suitable man for ministerial post as Minister for Agriculture.
Nobody in this House talks more about democracy and about the rights of the people than the present Taoiseach. Only to-day in the course of his address on the Budget, he treated us to a lecture in this House on the dangers of a private army, on the rights of the people and how they should be protected. He pointed out that this House was elected for the protection of the people. We find that one of the very first acts of the Taoiseach, who talks so much about democracy, was to flout the will of the people.
The people of the constituency in Cork knew Senator Moylan. He had been a member of this House for a considerable number of years. The people in that constituency knew his ability, knew his record, knew how close he was to the Taoiseach. They knew all those things and we all accept the fact that the people are the bosses. The people decided calmly, through the secrecy of the ballot box, that they did not want Seán Moylan as a member of Dáil Éireann.
However, the Taoiseach, the man who preaches about the rights of the people, flouted their decision and, within a week of the people's decision rejecting Seán Moylan, the Taoiseach announced he would use the privilege, for which he had made provision in the Constitution, to bring in Seán Moylan over the people's heads. Some Deputies in the House may consider it desirable that the Taoiseach should have the right to bring into the Government individuals who have not gone before the people, to bring in individuals who had not offered themselves at the hustings. Those Deputies are entitled to their view. Perhaps the idea originally was that we would have somebody in the country with the ability of Einstein, somebody who would be able to produce gold out of a hat. Anyhow, it was considered that if such a provision were left in the Constitution the Taoiseach could bring in an individual but it was thought that such a privilege would be exercised only on the basis that the individual would be one of the world's outstanding men.
I am not here to say anything in a personal sense in criticism of Deputy Moylan. His record in this House is, to my mind, on a par with the records of the majority of Deputies. He has had, over the years, ministerial experience in various Departments. For a considerable period he was Minister for Lands and also in charge of forestry.
When I went for election for the first time one of the points on which I fought my campaign was the terrible neglect of forestry. The man who is now to be brought in as Minister for Agriculture was in charge of forestry for a considerable number of years. Having given a great deal of consideration to the matter I say there are other people inside the Fianna Fáil Party in the House who are capable of doing a reasonable job in the Department of Agriculture.
The Department of Lands could be looked upon by many as the most important Department in the State. All Deputies in this House are agreed that if the necessary production does not come from the land our economy will suffer greatly. Over the past 30 years the Department of Lands, as such, in the hands of people like Senator Moylan, cannot be said to have been a success. In fact, so unsuccessful has the policy of Senator Moylan as Minister for Lands proved that Deputy Childers, his successor, has now pointed out that the Land Commission is a waste of time, that the policy of the Land Commission over the years was misdirected.
We have now brought into the Department of Agriculture the man who was responsible for that policy and who is replaced in the Department of Lands by Deputy Childers. Will the position arise in four or five years that another Fianna Fáil bright spark like Deputy Childers will say: "I am afraid Senator Moylan made a ‘hames' of the Department of Agriculture as he did when he was in charge of forestry." Fianna Fáil have 78 Deputies in this House—78 loyal supporters of the Leader, the Chief. Out of these 78 there are quite a number of Deputies from the Province of Connaught, the neglected province. So far the Taoiseach has not appointed a single Minister from that province. I am sure there are Deputies in the Opposition who would say: "Well, if this appointment was to bring in a Connaught man from a province so far neglected it would not be too bad." But no, despite the fact that this province has stood loyally by the Taoiseach, it has been spurned, and a man who has been rejected by the people is being brought in to take charge of what is known as the most important Department in the State.
Is there the slightest semblance of democratic procedure in the motion that the Taoiseach has moved to-day? The individual concerned, Senator Moylan as he now is, went before the people and he was rejected. What was the next move? Did he even take the chance of going before the electorate for the Seanad? Oh no. Surely if the Taoiseach considers that the Seanad is such an upright body, such an important body and that the men elected to it should be elected by democratic procedure, he should have decided that Mr. Moylan would go before the Seanad and contest his seat in the same way as the other 180 or 190 Seanad candidates. That did not happen. In other words, having been rejected by the people first, it was then decided it would be unwise to allow this man to go forward and contest even the Seanad election.
When I look towards the Fianna Fáil Benches I see a number of new faces there and a number of Deputies for whom I have a great personal respect. I see a number of Deputies that I believe have a great personal ability but I believe at the same time that, as they are now, they are rigorously tied down and the ability they have is being prevented from blossoming. Surely the Taoiseach had an opportunity at this stage of taking from the younger ranks a man who would have the energy, the youth and enthusiasm to spark a new policy in agriculture and bring new life to that most important Department? Surely the Taoiseach has more respect for his 78 Deputies than to pass them all by and to take in one individual who has already been rejected?
However, seeing that he has not—I presume this House will agree to his decision—as far as I am personally concerned, I am opposing it completely on the grounds that the action is undemocratic coming from a man who preaches democracy to the people day and night. I oppose this as vehemently as I can and I shall ask for a division in the hope that there will be at least five Deputies in the House who will also oppose it.
