Gerard P. Craughwell: Abstains from Senate Vote, Urges Reform
Gerard P. Craughwell announced he will not participate in today's election and said he is deeply regretful about recent developments in the House. He confirmed he had been committed to Senator Byrne but only learned of Senator Flynn's entry this morning and will stand aside.
Craughwell told colleagues he would take the same position as others and not participate in the election. He said there were two excellent candidates and that he had been unaware of Senator Flynn's emergence until the morning of the contest.
He stated he had committed to Senator Byrne, describing Byrne as a very fine senator and a wonderful parliamentarian, and lamented that the situation had been "thrown into this abyss" by recent events.
Craughwell argued that members are elected for vocational expertise rather than geographic constituencies, noting elections to vocational panels, university panels and nominations by the Taoiseach of 11 people. He emphasised that ballot papers do not reflect party membership and stressed the vocational nature of representation in the House.
He recalled fighting to save the House in 2013 and invoked figures who campaigned to preserve it, including Fergal Quinn and Michael MacDool. Craughwell said promised reforms have not materialised, accused the public of being cheated, and urged that the institution should perform without party interference.
He concluded by urging all members to fight for reform so the House can fulfil its role as a reforming body rather than aspiring to be a Dáil replacement, and left the matter there.
Abstention from election
Craughwell told colleagues he would take the same position as others and not participate in the election. He said there were two excellent candidates and that he had been unaware of Senator Flynn's emergence until the morning of the contest.
Commitment to a colleague
He stated he had committed to Senator Byrne, describing Byrne as a very fine senator and a wonderful parliamentarian, and lamented that the situation had been "thrown into this abyss" by recent events.
Representation and the Senate's mandate
Craughwell argued that members are elected for vocational expertise rather than geographic constituencies, noting elections to vocational panels, university panels and nominations by the Taoiseach of 11 people. He emphasised that ballot papers do not reflect party membership and stressed the vocational nature of representation in the House.
Concern about party interference and unmet reform promises
He recalled fighting to save the House in 2013 and invoked figures who campaigned to preserve it, including Fergal Quinn and Michael MacDool. Craughwell said promised reforms have not materialised, accused the public of being cheated, and urged that the institution should perform without party interference.
Call for action on reform
He concluded by urging all members to fight for reform so the House can fulfil its role as a reforming body rather than aspiring to be a Dáil replacement, and left the matter there.
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Transcript
I too will take the same position as my colleagues and will not participate in today's election. I find it deeply regrettable that we find ourselves in this situation. We have two excellent candidates. I wasn't aware of Senator Flynn's emergence into the competition until this morning. I had committed to Senator Byrne, a very fine senator, a wonderful parliamentarian, both of them excellent qualities, but we have been thrown into this abyss because of what has happened. I just want to put on the record something. We talk here about parties. We recently went through a count for the Senate seats that we sit in. Nowhere on the ballot paper does it reflect party membership. We are elected, most of us are elected to this House because of the vocational expertise we bring to the House. We are not elected to a geographical area of any sort. We do not represent any geographical area. We represent the vocational panels we have been elected to, we represent the university panels we have been elected to, or we represent the Taoiseach who has nominated 11 people. We do need, in 2013, before I was a member of this House, I fought to save this House, when excellent people like Fergal Quinn, Michael MacDool and various other people were out there fighting to save this House. There was an implicit promise that reform would come. Reform has not come. The public have been cheated. And I think that all of us, it behoves all of us in this House to actually fight for the reform of the Seannet. It is an institution that should perform without party interference at any stage. We are not Dáil members. Most of us that are here do not or should not want to be members of Dáil. We should want to be here in the reforming House that we are in. And I leave it at that. Thank you very much. Thank you.