Vol. 22 No. 2
I move:
That notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained in Standing Order No.58 of the Standing Orders relative to Public Business, the Committee of Selection appointed under that Standing Order do consist of eight Senators; and that the following Senators be appointed to serve on the said Committee:— Joseph Brennan, Martin Conlon, John J. Counihan, Denis Healy, Margaret L. Kennedy, Eamonn Lynch, William Quirke, and Robert J. Rowlette.
I second the motion. The names proposed seem to me suitable. I think there was a measure of agreement among some people who were consulted with regard to the composition of the Committee. In supporting the motion, I should like to make some remarks which I think would be in order with regard to the working of the particular Committee we are appointing. I understand that the practice in the Dáil generally is that as you have there three Parties— or is it four—the different Parties send in their quota of names, and that the Selection Committee practically always accepts the names so sent in. I want to suggest that in this House that would be a highly undesirable and unnecessary method. I hope that this Committee will not, as it were, take Party orders, even to the extent of the proportion that a Party may claim, but will consider the names for Committees having regard to the peculiar qualifications of Senators.
I, personally, would like, if I may, to appeal to the leaders of the main political Party to adopt the practice here that no Senator should be pledge-bound to any Party as far as his actions in this House are concerned. There are, of course, Party affiliations. Nobody denies them. They are inevitable with the system of election which we have at the present time for this House, but if the desire of An Taoiseach and others, that this House should be different as far as possible from the Dáil, is to be achieved, it is essential that each individual Senator should be free to vote according to his own views and opinions. This House cannot upset any Government. The time for delay that is allowed to it is short. It is really a revising chamber, and if it is to have any real effect as a revising chamber it seems to me that it is necessary that there should be freedom. I would like to appeal to Senators that there should be agreement all round that there will be no Party discipline against individuals because they exercise their own individual judgement in this House. Now, there are a number of Senators who were elected without any Party pledge and who, it is known, are not tied to any Party, though no doubt they have their Party preferences. There are a number of others of whom we cannot speak, because we do not know, on that matter, but if there could be a measure of understanding on this, I think it would add greatly to the dignity and usefulness of this House.
Speaking for the majority group, if one likes to call it that, I am glad to be in a position to state that no member of this Party group is pledge-bound, and that it is not the intention of the group to insist on any such regulation.
Hear, hear!
