Five Seanad seats for Northern Ireland representatives have been proposed by Fianna Fáil as part of a Seanad reform package.
The proposal, if accepted, would require a constitutional referendum to increase the existing number of Seanad seats to 65.
Fianna Fáil is also proposing that the Leader of the House, who is appointed by the Taoiseach of the day, be designated a Minister of State with the right to attend Cabinet meetings. Such a move, it says, would "enhance the standing of the Seanad and give it a dedicated channel of access to Government".
The party has made the proposals to a Seanad sub-committee on reform, chaired by the Leader of the House, Mrs Mary O'Rourke. It is understood that the sub-committee has received 161 submissions, many of them from members of the public.
A series of public hearings on the proposals, chaired by Mrs O'Rourke, will be held in September.
The Fianna Fáil submission, which, according to party sources has the backing of the Taoiseach, Mr Ahern, notes that different Taoisigh from time to time had nominated senators from Northern Ireland.
"Indeed, the original Free State Seanad was designed during an initial period to provide some representation for the ex-Unionist minority and to play a part in national reconciliation, a function carried on in the mid-20th century under the present Constitution by the Trinity seats," it adds.
"Fianna Fáil would propose that an additional five seats be created to provide representation from Northern Ireland of a cross-community character. Four senators would be nominated by the Taoiseach on the recommendation of the leaders of the main parties in Northern Ireland, and, failing that, from persons chosen on an equal basis and recommended to the Taoiseach from within the two broad communities in Northern Ireland.
"The fifth senator would be independent of party or strong political affiliation and a person who has made a prominent and constructive contribution to civic or public life in Northern Ireland."
Currently, 43 members of the Seanad are returned by county councillors and members of the Oireachtas to the vocational panels. Graduates of Trinity College and the constituent colleges of the NUI elect six senators to the university panels.
The Taoiseach of the day appoints 11 nominees to ensure a Government majority.
Fianna Fáil suggests the list of nominating bodies should be updated, particularly relating to voluntary groups. Consideration should also be given to including umbrella emigrant organisations in Britain, the US and Australia in the nominating bodies. The political parties should have regard in their nominations to the need to improve gender balance, it says.
More controversially, Fianna Fáil suggests that there is "an overwhelming case for creating a unified panel of six seats, in which the electorate would be all graduates from recognised public third-level colleges".
This proposal is likely to be strongly resisted by the university senators.
They have argued that this extension would lead to a huge constituency of voters and give the political parties and their election machines an advantage over Independent candidates.
The other members of the sub-committee are the Cathaoirleach, Mr Rory Kiely; Mr Brian Hayes (FG); Mr Joe O'Toole (Ind); Mr Brendan Ryan (Lab); Mr John Dardis (PD)