When I reported progress, I had given the reasons which prompted me to table this amendment to the Government's Bill. I had explained to the House that it was the interests of greater efficiency and greater stability which had motivated me. I agreed with the Government in the principle of what they were trying to achieve but said I did not believe at this moment the people were prepared to accept the straight vote. Because this could only result in defeat in the referendum and a stop to all reform, I felt the Government would do well to compromise and to accept my amendment, which I feel would be acceptable to most of the people.
If the Minister and the Fianna Fáil Party reject my amendment, they will live to regret this decision. I believe, in, and agree with, the necessity to reform the Constitution—it is in the national interest that we should do so —but I do not believe as of now that the public are prepared to accept the straight vote, quite regardless of its merits. To proceed with the straight vote can only result in a defeat for the Government and a continuance of the present unsatisfactory system, with all its faults. I suspect that some of those on the Fianna Fáil backbenches who are encouraging the Minister to persist in his folly are not really interested in reform at all and merely want the present system to continue and that they want to continue in the mediocre security they are in at the moment.
I think the Fine Gael Party, if they are rejecting this amendment for purely Party purposes, are cutting their own throats. The signs are, for those who can read them, that the Fine Gael Party are no longer fulfilling any political need. The Labour Party are catering for some section of the trade union vote. Fianna Fáil, on the other hand are catering for another section of the trade union vote and, because they are a broadly-based Party, are catering for most other sections of the community. Being in office, of course, they are operating from a position of power. I do not think Fine Gael can ever expect under the PR system to win an election on their own and become the alternative Government. The most they can hope for is a coalition and, however sad and disappointing it may be for them, nobody wants to coalesce with them. There may be one or two members of the Labour Party who would like to see themselves Ministers but I do not believe the Party as a whole will be prepared to coalesce with Fine Gael; nor indeed after the broadcast of the Labour Party candidate for Dublin South-East on television the other night, in which he mentioned a whole list of industries and factories and gave specific cases, do I think such a coalition would be particularly acceptable to the bulk of Fine Gael supporters.
Tugadh tuairisc ar a ndearnadh: an Coiste do shuí arís.