A range of parties and individuals are lining up to campaign for a No vote in the referendum on the Government’s proposal to abolish the Seanad.
The main Opposition parties, Fianna Fáil and Sinn Fein, have declared for the No side and a number of Independent TDs are expected to do the same.
A group called Democracy Matters led by two Independent senators, Fergal Quinn and Katharine Zappone, former Tanaiste Michael McDowell, former senator Joe O’Toole and barrister and columnist Noel Whelan is also campaigning for a No vote.
The campaign for a No vote began at the Fianna Fáil ardfheis in April when party leader Micheál Martin described the proposed abolition of the Seanad as a “major power-grab by Government”.
He made the argument that it would make the executive less reviewable and less accountable by parliament.
“In a parliament which has failed to fully review policies in the past, they are proposing to halve the level of review,” he said.
The party’s leader in the Seanad Denis O’Donovan has prepared a draft document on reforming the Upper House which will form the basis of the Fianna Fáil campaign for a No vote in favour of the retention of a reformed Seanad.
Sinn Féin is also opposed to the abolition of the Seanad with the party’s leader in the Seanad David Cullinane reiterating the view that the matter should referred to the Constitutional Convention.
“Sinn Féin believes that the Seanad as currently constituted is deeply undemocratic and elitist. We do not believe that it can continue to function in its current form.
“However, the government has taken an ill-considered and rash approach to the question of the future of the Seanad,” he added.
Mr Cullinane said the proposal to simply abolish the Seanad without even allowing an opportunity for discussion of reform was foolhardy.
“We have continually argued that the question of the future of the Seanad needs to be referred to the Constitutional Convention.”
He pointed out that the Government had allowed the Seanad Reform Bill proposed by Mr Quinn and Ms Zappone to pass second stage. “If they were to be consistent in their approach, they would defer the discussion of this legislation, and they would refer this matter to the Constitutional Convention,” he added.
Former Tánaiste Michael McDowell has made a number of speeches attacking the proposal to abolish the Seanad describing it as a “cheap stunt by which all political power will be concentrated in the hands of Government”.
He has described the Dáil as “a deeply dysfunctional chamber totally dominated by members of the Executive and savagely ruled by the party whip system, should henceforth be the only body concerned with legislation.”
That would mean that no other voices should be heard by right in our parliamentary process apart from TDs. He said they were elected in multi-seat constituencies in a “system based on crude political Darwinism which requires TDs to survive by focusing their attentions on local constituency issues”.
Mr McDowell yesterday claimed that people like Mary Robinson would not be heard again in an Irish parliament if the Seanad is abolished.
He said the Upper House was able to scrutinise legislation to a greater degree than the Dáil and could hypothetically petition the president of the day to put a piece of legislation to a referendum of the people.
“People forget about that. That’s a particular provision in the Constitution that enables the wishes of the majority of the Dáil not to have a manner properly debated dealt with,” he said.
Mr McDowell said the Seanad could give greater scrutiny to legislation concerning the European Union, adding: “Ming Flanagan and Mick Wallace and various other people, Michael Healy Rae, will not be interested in doing that type of work.”
