Green Party chairman and Deputy Leader of Seanad Éireann Dan Boyle has said he believes it "unlikely" that a referendum on the abolition of the Upper House will happen on the same day as the general election.
In a response to a query posted on Twitter this afternoon by David Farrell (@dfarrell_ucd) as to whether he believed a referendum to abolish the Seanad would happen on election day, Mr Boyle said he felt it was "unlikely", adding "I don't think time allows for it to happen".
In response to a query from another tweeter, Mark Cullinane (@mcullinane) in which the senator was asked if the Green Party was "seriously considering" facilitating a referendum on the abolition of the Seanad, Mr Boyle responded "I don't see it happening. I don't see The Seanad supporting it."
Sen. Boyle was asked if he felt Green Party members would be receptive to the idea of abolition of the Seanad. The Green Party chairman responded by saying his party's position was for reform of the Seanad with publicly elected representatives.
Mr Boyle later replied to another tweet in which it was put to him that an election would be called by the taoiseach in mid-February, with the poll being held in March.
Senator Boyle responded: "I believe that's what's likely."
Sources from Fianna Fáil and the Green Party said the issue has been discussed by both parties since early December and that senior Government figures, including Taoiseach Brian Cowen, were favourably disposed to the idea.
Talks have taken place between Mr Killeen and Minister for Foreign Affairs Micheál Martin for Fianna Fáil and Green Party leader John Gormley.
Mr Killeen said it would be possible to get the necessary legislation to enable the referendum through both Houses of the Oireachtas, though he accepted it would be complicated. “The timescale would comfortably allow it to be done in tandem with the Finance Bill and other legislation,” he said.
A Green source said last night that Mr Gormley was very receptive to the idea. “He is also keen on reducing Dáil numbers,” said the source. Fianna Fáil said last night that there was little appetite within the party for reducing Dáil numbers.
Independent Senator Joe O'Toole gave a resolute defence of the role of the Seanad today, saying to abolish it would be a diminution of democracy
Mr O'Toole said Seanad has not been allowed to develop as it was intended in the Constitution.
"We have this extraordinary situation in Irish life at the moment where people are screaming for a voice for civic society. The Seanad was set up to do that. The political parties made sure it never happened and now people are saying its not working, lets get rid of it."
The Labour Party repeated its call this morning for the abolition of the Seanad as part of an overhaul of the political system.
The party’s spokesman on constitutional matters and law reform, Brendan Howlin, said the party's position was that "fundamental changes" were required to strengthen the political system.
A radical overhaul "would strengthen the oversight of an effective single chamber of parliament", Mr Howlin told RTÉ's Morning Ireland radio programme.
A Fine Gael spokesman accused the Government of attempting to seize the initiative from party leader Enda Kenny, whom he said was most closely associated with calls to abolish the Seanad. “We look forward to any concrete proposal on political reform from a Government which has to date failed to address the issue,” said the spokesman.