Fine Gael Propose a Constitution Day and a "New Republic"

[Rocky]

What happens if we vote yes to scrapping the Seanad and no to the list system? Sounds to me that doing one without the other would be a disaster.

Not at all. Quite simply the Seanaid does close to nothing. It could disappear tomorrow and beyond 60 people and their staff looking for a new job, or in modern Ireland going on Social Welfare nothing would change.

The list system gives a chance to get some experts/experience in other areas into the Dail without having to worry about the Constituency staff and at the very least unlike Senators people would be listening to them in Dail. They could also of course be Ministers and although Senators can be Ministers it's only happened once in the history of the state.

[jackryan]

So nice of the FF press office to join us.

BTW have you any replacement for Gene yet?

I know FF doesn't do reform (unless their friends the builders want it) so it is not surprising that you cannot grasp the concept.

Well with the likes of Donie as our esteemed leader of the seanad who needs reform. Did anyone read a few weeks ago about him and i think O'Murchu and the ashes on ash wednesday in miriam Lords column! Hilarious!!

[Sailor]

So nice of the FF press office to join us.

BTW have you any replacement for Gene yet?

I know FF doesn't do reform (unless their friends the builders want it) so it is not surprising that you cannot grasp the concept.

Hi Tommy - it's just this proposal is kinda typical of what one has come to expect of FG. Superficial, lacking in substance. Makes you wonder if FG is not really FF Lite. Think back to that abomination Guinness Lite and you'll know what I mean

[jackryan]

'Labhrás ensures a black mark against Donie

It’s coming up to half past 10 in the morning and Senators are rushing into the chamber for the Order of Business.

House leader, Fianna Fáil’s Donie Cassidy, bustles through the anteroom to the door of the elegant chamber. Suddenly, he stops dead in his tracks. A look of horror spreads across his face. Standing before him is his colleague Senator Labhrás Ó Murchú and him sporting a large black mark in the shape of a cross on his forehead. Momentarily, Donie is rendered speechless. He regains some composure. “Oh. Oh. Oh,” he squeaks. “I never realised. Nobody told me. It’s Ash Wednesday!”

The stricken Donie motions urgently towards his friend. “Labhrás! Labhrás!” And with that, the pair of them barrel off into a far corner of the anteroom as a number of Senators look on in fascination.

They stand nose to nose. What are they up to? And then they stride swiftly back to the chamber, Donie holding his head high, a pious expression on his serene face.

Labhrás’s quota of blessed ashes looks somewhat diminished, but still bears the shape of the cross. And – why, it’s a miracle! – Donie now bears a large, dark-grey smudge on his forehead.

“We were fascinated. How did they do it? Who applied the ash, or did they rub their foreheads together like a pair of Eskimos?” one Senator confined after the event. “One of the women said she could have loaned them her mirror, if only they had asked.”'

From Irish times 13-03-10 sorry don't know how to link

Just to let u know the next headline was 'Bacik ready to flush out serial offenders' Good to know what is high on their agendas?

[Baron von Biffo]

By political parties - jobs for the boys plain & simple.

And the names on a list would be chosen by...?

[Baron von Biffo]

I might not agree with everything but fair dues to FG anyone who doesn't think the present system needs changing needs their head examined!!

Change doesn't mean improve.

[wombat]

And the names on a list would be chosen by...?

Parties choose, people elect

[Baron von Biffo]

Parties choose, people elect

So the parties say who will be in the Seanad or the parties say who will be on the lists. Wait till my scanning electron microscope warms up and I'll look at the difference between those options.

[boo-boo]

On the 4 Dail Committees - why do we need a Constititional amendment? What we do need is less committees, and that TD's dont get paid for this work. Its either part of being an elected TD or do away with this junket.

Definately agree with doing away with the Seanad. It's a house of political appointees, washed up politicians, and not to mention politicians who are just awaiting for the next general election. More than often they engage in needless debate and how many would be deemed to deliver value for money?

Similarly, why cut the Presidents term to 5 years, just abolish the office. Again, all she does is rubber stamp legislation, convene the council of State - but how many times was this done in the last 10 years. And yes, lets not forget the savings we could get if there was no household, pensions and/or foreign trips.

[wombat]

So the parties say who will be in the Seanad or the parties say who will be on the lists. Wait till my scanning electron microscope warms up and I'll look at the difference between those options.

Sometimes, the obvious is so obvious that it gets missed. The Party proposes a list, the people vote for or against the list. The Senate is chosen by politicians or in the case of Trinity, by the relics of old decency, the people have no input. By the way, FG say they're still discussing the list proposal.