Councillor Keith Martin of the Labour Party says he will canvass for the abolition of the Seanad when the promised referendum is called. Cllr Martin says that the upper house of the Oireachtas is beyond reform and a drain on the nation's resources.
According to the Westport based councillor, the Seanad is “an undemocratic body which performs no specific function other than provide a resting home for failed or defeated Dáil candidates.
“Since 1928 12 separate official reports have been published on reform of the Seanad none of which have led to major reforms or even proposed reform which would make the Seanad worth keeping.
“Many democratic nations such as Sweden, New Zealand, Denmark, and Portugal function perfectly without an upper house, in fact half the nations of the world only have one chamber.
Its university representation is a bizarre system which excludes too many people, likewise the panel system and Taoiseach's nominees mean that the chamber is stuffed with members of the old boys network.”
Cllr Martin concluded: “The Seanad is costing the taxpayers €25 million a year to run. Can anyone say it's worth the money?”
