Seanad Éireann díospóireacht -
Tuesday, 7 Jul 1925

Vol. 5 No. 15

SECOND STAGE.

Motion made: "That this Bill be read a Second Time."

Mr. O'FARRELL

The introduction of this Bill almost inevitably brings one up against the question of the attendance of Senators in this House. The large bulk of members of the House—I think the majority of the House—are exceedingly good in their attendance here, but there is one section of the House—a small section— which hardly ever graces the Chamber with their presence. There are at least two or three people who were never here more than two or three times since the Seanad was formed in 1922. I know the allowances to Senators are very small matters to those people. But the principle of taking money for service not rendered is an exceedingly bad one. If a workman, not out of employment, makes representation that he is out of employment and gets benefit thereby, he is open to prosecution and liable to sentence of imprisonment for a miserable 15/- per week, while people of birth and position and standing in the country are, for the last two or three years, taking money from a poor country for services they did not render.

That is not the most important part of the question. The House was established for the purpose of giving a very important element of the community representation. These people are selected because of the fact that they do represent important interests, but those people have abrogated their right to representation because they have failed to turn up, and I think in all decency and justice to the electorate they should resign their seats. We have the first triennial election going on now, and it is nothing short of a public scandal that three or four seats should be disfranchised in this House and not declared vacant for the purposes of election. What the reasons are for those people continuing their membership of the Seanad I cannot say, nor can I understand. I think they should declare their seats vacant and give the electorate an opportunity of sending someone here who would discharge the duties the House has intended for them. There were reasons why vacancies should not be created unduly up to now. They have disappeared, and the good example set in the case of Sir Horace Plunkett and Sir Hutcheson Poë should certainly be followed.

Colonel MOORE

I agree with every word that the last Senator has said. I believe some of the absent Senators have not drawn their money. So I am told. I do not know, but their absence from their public duties is what I mostly complain of. Occasional absence would not be serious, but continued absence during the whole of two and a half years is a very serious matter.

Mr. MacLYSAGHT

It is scandalous.

Mr. FARREN

During the first year and a half or two years of the existence of this House, there was a book kept for members to sign as a record of their attendance. I noticed that during the past twelve months this book is not available. I do not know why the book is not there, but it ought to be there, in my opinion. This question of the attendance of members ought to be referred to, and those who do not attend ought to have the decency to resign. We hear a lot of complaints and a lot of talk about giving a fair day's work for a fair day's pay, and giving a fair output for a fair day's wage. Judging by the output some of the members of this House give, they are not entitled to much wages for their day's work. On a recent occasion I referred to this matter and a Senator got up and said that they were not paid salaries, that it was only allowance for expenses incurred. I respectfully suggest that no one ought to take payment or allowance for expenses that they have not incurred. Some protest ought to be made against the continued absence of some members of this House, and steps should be taken if they do not attend to their business to see that others are put in their places.

Mr. MacLYSAGHT

This is a sort of a bee in my bonnet. I have taken every opportunity that presented itself to call attention to it, and it was due to a resolution that I put down that the book referred to by Senator Farren was instituted. I think I am right in saying that most Senators did not bother to put their names down, and although the book is not kept now, a reigster is kept by the Clerk.

AN CATHAOIRLEACH

Yes, a register is kept by the Clerk and is entered upon the journals of the House. Senators do not sign the book, but a register is kept of their attendances.

Question—"That the Bill be read a Second Time"—put and agreed to.

Ordered that Standing Orders be suspended to enable the Bill to be put through its remaining stages.

Bill passed through Committee without amendment, was reported, received for final consideration, and passed.