Vote No on Friday and reform Seanad Éireann

Next Friday Irish people will be asked to vote in a referendum on the future of Seanad Éireann. We will also be asked to vote on a proposal to vote on a new court.

In yesterday's Irish Times writer Theo Dorgan puts forward good reasons whey we should keep the Senate.

In that same newspaper Breda O'Brien also is opposed to the aboloition of the Upper House. but she suggests people vote  No and then write the word 'reform' on their ballot paper.

Such an act will render the ballot null and void and should not be contemplated.

Abolishing the Senate will centre all power in the Dáil. It would give a party with a large majority far too much power.

It seems this referendum has come about as the result of a political throw-away comment and then it was felt it needed a follow-through.

These days we are forever being told how well the Germans do things. Might those same politicians ask why and how Hitler came to power.

While the German Senate, the Bundesrat, is very different to our Seante, not in a million years would a democratic Germany even think of abolishing the Bundesrat.

Something extraodianry lazy and non-consequential about the Irish.