Senator Fidelma Healy Eames and Dublin South TD Peter Matthews have announced that they intend to vote for the retention of the Seanad in the upcoming referendum. TD for Wicklow Billy Timmins described himself as a “floating voter.”
The Fine Gael TDs and Senators who lost the party whip for voting against the government on abortion are now calling for a series of reforms to the Irish parliamentary system. The group, who are calling themselves the Reform Alliance, spoke today at an informal press conference outside Buswell’s Hotel on Molesworth Street.
Billy Timmins was critical of the lack of speaking rights for independent TDs under the current system. He said that the members of the Reform Alliance would be seeking reinstatement on the committees that they were removed from. He also proposed that in future, the Ceann Comhairle be elected by secret ballot.
Former Minister of State Lucinda Creighton said that the process of guillotining, where legislation is rushed through parliament without debate, was “becoming more and more of a blunt instrument.” She advocated for a system where the government could request permission from the Attorney General to bypass debate in an emergency situation: “We have plenty of parliamentarians that will do the work if they’re given the chance. We don’t really consider it acceptable that so much legislation is being guillotined.”
Peter Matthews proposed that referendums in Ireland have a turnout of at least 50% before their results can be deemed valid.
Senator Paul Bradford, when asked if he hoped to eventually regain the Fine Gael whip, replied that he was “disappointed at the events which surrounded [the] expulsion.” He stressed that he had been “a loyal and active member of the Fine Gael party.” When asked about Enda Kenny’s performance, he said he felt the Taoiseach had performed his duties “very competently.”
