The Seanad is in many ways the software testing and verification function of the legislature while the Dail is the software development side of the operation (though most of the coders in the Dail get their work from 3rd party vendors and check it into source control as their own work).
Anyway as is my wony I’ve had another go at kicking over the traces on the matter of getting some sort of progress on Seanad Reform. I suspect that John Gormley isn’t necessary enthused about this (seriously how could it compare to saving the world) but his intentions are decent enough.
As you have have seen, or not as the weekend weather had its nice points, I’ve called out (or claimed as some folks might term it) the Leader of the Seanad as to why he’s blocking even the most minimal reform of the Seanad by means of old fashioned procedural stalling and foot dragging.
I would view a letter to the Irish Times as being the political equivalent of standing outside his house, bare chested roaring “Com’on den”. Will Donie respond, one wonders or will he try to make it to the summer recess and an escape to the wild pastures of the midlands?
*yeah right enough it’s a bit over the top to call it hurt. It is darned annoying though.
Dan, what’s the latest state of play with Seanad reform? Is there a push? Or just more pen-pushing?
Pen pushing is the order of the day it would appear. The word I have is that the Donie is stalling on having the minister’s group finalise its work. For the first meeting post John Gormley’s statement to the Seanad in March, Donie arrived late and did a dog ate my homework routine stating that the FF group would need several more months to complete their submission compared to the 2 or so weeks Gormley had intended in his speech.
That was cut down to the next meeting which was to be within 6 weeks from then but that didn’t I believe take place what with the locals and everything else.
No details of the meeting are being made public, no record of attendance, or minutes are being published as Donie has objected to the public being informed, the next meeting is now not likely until the Dail resumes.
The minister meanwhile remains “fully committed”, but I would say not 100% invested in the notion. I feel like sitting down with the Spring and O’Toole bills from 97/98 some weekend and drafting my own legislation and seeing if I could get someone in FG or Labour to propose it in private members time.