THE FINE Gael leader in the Seanad has written to the Government Chief Whip complaining about the complete absence of any debate on legislation in the Seanad since its return after the summer break.
Senator Frances Fitzgerald has asked chief whip John Curran for an urgent meeting to explain why not one single Bill has come before the Seanad since its return on September 29th.
The Upper House has sat for 18 days during the autumn, yet no Bill has come before it.
Other than the daily Order of Business, Seanad business has been confined to statements on issues of the day such as housing, the economic and fiscal outlook, childcare, the Croke Park agreement and on the National Spatial Strategy.
Ms Fitzgerald said the lack of legislation over three calendar months was shocking, and was making a mockery of the Seanad.
“It shows an attitude to Seanad Éireann by the Government that lacks respect. We ought to be dealing with legislation. We cannot continue to make statements day after day.
“It raises serious questions about the attitude and approach of Government to the Seanad.”
A spokesman for the chief whip acknowledged that there had been a dearth of legislation recently, but attributed it to cyclical and seasonal factors, including the summer break.
“It comes in waves. There is legislation in the pipeline that will be coming before the Seanad.
“The expectation is that the Seanad will be very busy with legislation between now and Christmas.”
By contrast, the Dáil has had a regular flow of legislation since September, including Second Stage debates on the Dublin Mayoral Bill and the Criminal Justice (Defence of the Dwelling) Bill.
Labour Party whip Emmet Stagg pointed out that the Government could have facilitated debate on legislation in the Seanad by allowing Bills to get their first reading in the Upper House rather than in the Dáil. However, that had not been done.
Separately, the Government has made no moves yet to fill a vacancy in the Seanad brought about by the death of Fianna Fáil Senator Kieran Phelan last May.
The chief whip’s office said no moves had been made to move the writ to the fill the vacancy, although some six months have passed.
The two former PD Senators, Ciaran Cannon and Fiona O’Malley, are now officially classed as Opposition Senators – as is former Fianna Fáil Senator Ivor Callely. Those changes have meant that both Government and Opposition benches have 29 votes each.
The Government side was defeated in two votes in the Upper House last week on Private Members’ motions.
