Independent Senator, Victor Boyhan, has today (Tuesday) called on the Taoiseach Enda Kenny to nominate 5 non–party members to the new Seanad as part of the Taoiseach’s eleven nominees.

“A recurring theme of the Working Group Report on Seanad Reform 2015 was the criticism that ‘ordinary citizens’ were excluded from engaging with the Seanad and that the connection between the Seanad and local communities had withered.

“In addition, the Report was critical that expert and specialist Senators were no longer playing a significant role in the Seanad in providing a voice for representatives of the Irish Diaspora and of a Northern Ireland dimension.

“As a new independent voice in the Seanad I am committed to the following objectives:

•  To develop and strengthen the vocational nature of the Seanad 
• To develop a scheme that would allow the participation of all Irish Citizens in Seanad Elections 
• To maintain the link between national and local politics through an electoral college of elected public representatives

“I consider that it’s important that Senators come from diverse social, cultural and economic backgrounds.

“It was always envisaged that the Seanad would be a forum of Independent and diverse expertise, its purpose, to check and challenge the actions of Government.

“I welcome the comments of An Taoiseach in recent days that he is committed to a ‘new type of politics’ and the appointment of some non-party Senators as part of his 11 nominees would demonstrate his intention in this regard.”

- Senator Victor Boyhan, 17.5.2016