Order of Business.

Mr. J. Fitzgerald

I should like to take this opportunity of congratulating you on your election as Cathaoirleach of Seanad Éireann and on behalf of the Labour group here to assure you of our fullest co-operation to enable you to carry out the onerous duties which you have undertaken.

I should also like to make the plea at this, the first meeting of this Seanad, that much further use will be made of the Seanad in the future than has been made of it in the past. The Seanad has a role to play in the national life of this country and I sincerely hope that you, in co-operation with the Leader of the House, will be able to use your influence to ensure that much better use will be made of the present Seanad than was made of the two Seanads of which I have had the honour to be a Member.

It is true to say that there is a very cynical outlook with regard to the role and function of Seanad Éireann. I believe that in the Seanad we have the people and the talent to play a very big part in the future political and economic life of this country.

An Cathaoirleach

I am loath to interrupt the Senator but this is hardly relevant to the Order of Business.

Mr. J. Fitzgerald

Well, this is the only opportunity one can get of putting over the point of view, which I believe is shared by many, that this Seanad should be enabled to play a bigger role than has been played by the Seanad in the past. On occasions we have had motions on the Order Paper for two years because Ministers could not find the time to come into the Seanad to take them. We have had also the very unfortunate situation that arises very often of a number of Bills coming before the Seanad when the Dáil is in recess. That, in effect, means that all the Seanad is being asked to do is rubber stamp those Bills.

Seanad Éireann debate -
Wednesday, 5 Nov 1969