SEANAD SKETCH:It was the last day of business for the 27th Seanad and everybody wanted to have their say, writes MARIE O'HALLORAN
THERE is a lot of talk in the Seanad about respect – respect for Senators, respect for the views of the Upper House, respect for its constitutional right to exist.
There appears, however, to be little recognition that, like most things, respect is a two-way street.
And so it was that Minister for Finance Brian Lenihan had to wait for more than an hour in the ante-chamber off the Seanad while the learned members of the Upper House conducted their Order of Business, or rather their right to verbalise about matters of State in their own parish.
And those standing for the Dáil – a not inconsiderable number – got to deliver their respective party political and independent broadcasts to get themselves into the Lower House.
The Minister was heard to remark about waiting for his “constitutional right of audience” as he made his way into the chamber, an hour and 10 minutes after the debate on the Finance Bill was scheduled to begin.
In fairness it was the last day of business for the 27th Seanad and everybody wanted to have their say about the state of the nation, the party, their opponents and their own areas of interest.
The point was made that under the Constitution, the Seanad can sit for up to 90 days after the dissolution of the Dáil and they should work to pass a number of Bills and leave them ready for the next administration.
Senator Feargal Quinn said one of the reasons for the abolition of the Seanad was its cost. “I suggest Senators who do not come to work for the next 90 days should not take their salary.”
There was no response to that one, but several Senators agreed they could leave legislation ready for the next administration.
Labour Senator Alex White had suggested the first item on the agenda of the next Seanad should be reform, particularly the Order of Business, which had drifted beyond its original remit.
Fianna Fáil’s Terry Leyden took him to task as a “poacher turned gamekeeper because he used the Order of Business very well to promote his election to Dáil Éireann”.
Mr Leyden said the fact the Dáil was prepared to sit tonight (Saturday) in the event of Seanad recommendations “is a mark of tremendous respect people have for this House”.
Mr White replied: “Surely the Senator is aware that a constitutional requirement exists in this regard.”
Fine Gael’s Seanad spokesman Liam Twomey reserved his potshots for Fianna Fáil’s new leader, who reminded him of “the sort of two-timing eejit” who was “constantly fooling around behind the back of his long-suffering girlfriend and constantly saying sorry and that it will never happen again. He does not realise that this time she has thrown him out for good. This is how the people feel about how they have been manipulated by the Government.”
He accused Micheál Martin of “putting on his smarmy smile, going down to the local service station, buying a bunch of €1.99 flowers, and running around the corner to see if he can convince her to let him back into the bedroom”.
Which leads to the question, who buys flowers for €1.99?