Michael McDowell was getting the better of Fine Gael director of elections, Regina Doherty during a debate on the upcoming Senate referendum (Late Debate, RTE).
But towards the end his arrogance got the better of him and, not for the first time, his elitist mindset betrayed his real reasons for retaining the Senate.
No European legislation is being considered in the Oireachtas – we need more expertise to deal with the EU – Do we really think that Michael Healy Rae, Ming Flanagan and various others are going to now spend their afternoons going through European directives and making suggestions for new laws to Europe, that’s not going to happen.
Doherty was quick to condemn his arrogance but McDowell just couldn’t stop himself.
Let’s look at the directly elected people in Seanad Eireann. Fergal Quinn, John Crown, Sean Barrett, David Norris Ivana Bacik and Ronan Mullen. They’re damned good senators, they’re good people.
Good people perhaps, but all members of an exclusive, elitist club that has long outlived any relevance it may have had.