Seanad Éireann debate -
Thursday, 31 Jan 1946

Vol. 31 No. 4

Method of Seanad Elections—Appointment of Select Committee.

Mr. Hearne

I move:—

Go gceaptar Rogha-Choiste de sheacht gcomhalta le comh-cheangal de Rogha-Choiste de chúig chomhalta déag maraon leis an gCeann Comhairle a cheapfaidh an Dáil chun breithniú agus molta a dhéanamh i dtaobh modh rialaithe toghchán na gcomhaltaí tofa den tSeanad is gá do réir an Bhunreachta a thoghadh as rollaí d'iarrthóirí agus i dtaobh léirithe an toghdais is gcúir na dtoghchán san;

Go mbeidh an Ceann Comhairle ina Chathaoirleach ar an gComh-Choiste;

Gur triúir an córam, gan an Cathaoirleach d'áireamh;

Gurb é an Coiste Roghnathóireachta ainmneos an Coiste.

That a Select Committee of seven members be appointed to be joined with a Select Committee consisting of fifteen members and the Ceann Comhairle to be appointed by the Dáil to consider and make recommendations on the method of regulating elections of those elected members of Seanad Eireann who are required by the Constitution to be elected from panels of candidates and the definition of the electorate for such elections;

That the Ceann Comhairle be Chairman of the Joint Committee;

That the quorum be three, exclusive of the Chairman;

That the Committee be nominated by the Committee of Selection.

Mr. Hayes

In this motion, we are accepting a principle which, I think, is fundamentally wrong — that a joint committee should be constituted in this particular manner. We are creating a precedent which is a wrong precedent and it commits us to a joint committee which is so large in number as to be virtually unwieldy and unworkable.

Question put and agreed to.

Message to be sent to the Dáil accordingly.