Sir, – Last week the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage told the Seanad that the Government’s proposal on Seanad franchise reform “is the single biggest reform of the Seanad in decades”.
However, the Government has now scheduled the remaining Seanad stages of the proposed legislation to be taken in just two hours this week. That includes up to 57 senators examining the legislation section by section, proposing and debating amendments, voting on amendments, and making final statements on the legislation.
Crucially, the Bill as currently proposed would be incompatible with the Constitution of Ireland as it proposes to replace byelections with a list system to fill Seanad vacancies, despite the Constitution being explicit that all six senators involved must be elected.
Should the Bill go through the Seanad unamended this week, and not subsequently be corrected by the Dáil, it is extremely likely the President will need to refer the legislation to the Supreme Court, where it will be struck down. This will leave the State wide open for a constitutional crisis as the May 2025 deadline for replacing the current Seanad electoral system looms.
A New York Times book critic spent five days in Dublin. Here’s how he got on
Kathy Sheridan: Don’t write off Gráinne Seoige. The original celebrity candidate was Jack Lynch
Seán Moran: It is hard to think of a more important football match hosted in Croke Park
Lessons from an Airbnb host: ‘Two sisters insisted we call the Bord Gáis emergency services because the radiator was too hot’
The Government must act responsibly now and ensure the legislation it proposes to the Seanad and Dáil is aligned with the Constitution and is not rushed in an effort to silence opposition to the Government’s aim of limiting the right to vote in Seanad elections to college graduates rather than the entire population. – Yours, etc,
TOMÁS HENEGHAN,
East Wall,
Dublin 3.