I raise with the Leader, and the Cathaoirleach, a decision made by the Dáil Committee on Procedure and Privileges, CPP, yesterday to cease allowing Members to invite non-governmental organisations to host briefings in the AV room. I learned of this not as a member of the Seanad CPP.

I learned it from Deputy Thomas Pringle's tweet. He tweeted, "Dáil CPP closes down presentation room to NGOs too embarrassing it seems to see effective cuts inside Leinster House". I have verified that information with the CPP.

Yesterday, I organised a briefing on the Child and Family Agency Bill 2013, which everybody says is a significant Bill. We had cross-party and group representatives at the meeting. I invited the Children's Rights Alliance, which brought in Barnardos, EPIC, Empowering People in Care, Pain, Lifestart, the Irish Association of Social Workers, Focus Ireland, Young Ballymun, Start Strong and the Association for Criminal Justice Research and Development. They gave their collective views to Deputies and Senators on the Bill. The Bill has been delayed and will have significant changes made to it which I know were advocated by the NGOs.

The situation asks serious questions of us. I have visited several parliaments around the world and NGOs have much greater access. For example, last year I visited Wisconsin - in case any reporters are tuning in I add that I did so at my own expense - and there is a round space where NGOs can protest inside the Parliament. That allows members to have direct engagement with and the NGOs are not kept beyond the gates.

We often talk about the use of the guillotine in this House. I wonder whether this situation is an example if its over-use. I have some serious questions to ask about this matter: does the Dáil CPP have ownership rights over the AV room? Is it pre-empting a forthcoming vote? Are we only in favour of representative democracy or do we not also agree in participatory democracy? If decisions are made, we need to be involved. The rules in this House about the use of the AV room are ever changing. I would therefore welcome written guidance on what is and is not allowed. The development is a serious one and I seek urgent clarification.

I second Senator van Turnhout's proposal. The civic engagement policies of the Leader are deeply appreciated outside the House if not by the leadership of his own party. He deserves credit. We need to involve civic society more. Will the Dáil shut off itself from contact with NGOs? Is that what will happen if the Seanad is abolished?

To follow up on yesterday's discussion, I understand the conference the Minister of State, Deputy Cannon said he was attending begins at lunch time today. I have the invite from the OECD, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, which says that the event will end with a working lunch tomorrow. The Minister of State should have come into the House yesterday. His Department told the Leader that he had already left. He made a serious allegation without any validation at all in the reports of the Standards in Public Office Commission in the period since 2007. Deputy Cannon said that he was bribed in 2009. There have been six investigation reports since that time, none of which refers to a Senator. One refers to a Deputy and four to local government officials, two of which were in Mayo and one each in Donegal, Kerry and Dublin. Deputy Cannon made a serious allegation against this House and senior members of Fianna Fáil and then left the country somewhat early for a conference that begins at lunch time today. It is incumbent on him to contact the House because he is not due back until after the House rises and his allegation is left hanging, doing damage to the referendum on Friday and the credibility of this House, which is what he used the article for. Indeed, in the article he wrote - it was not an interview - that the Seanad is a relic of a bygone era. The main reason he gives for that view is that he met somebody in here who tried to bribe him. He must come back before tomorrow to confirm or at least explain why he never referred the matter to the appropriate authorities and why he decided that it was only important to make the allegation in last week's Connacht Tribune. It is a serious matter that merits telephone calls or some contact from Istanbul.

I note that all Irish universities are in the top 15,000 or 4% of world universities. Trinity College Dublin is No. 61 in the world and ninth in Europe. We use those standings to promote Ireland as an attractive destination. It is completely incongruous that a Government doing that wishes to expel the university Senators from Parliament, which is what it is doing in trying to get rid of the six people on these benches. The inclusion of those six Members is called elitism apparently. However, 47% of under-35s and 70% of 18 and 19 year olds have received third level education. That is a lot more than the percentage of people who go to Clongowes. The two leading Ministers who are criticising the universities for being elitist are old Clongownians. The old Clongownians against elitism - that must be the most exclusive group that one would find anywhere.

Another damage that other Clongownians are trying to undo is the relationships between the North and South. I commend the college on its links with Portora. Those are the areas that the two old Clongownians are attempting to sunder by calling for a "No" vote. Their criticisms of Irish universities are garbage and they should be rebutted by the university authorities. We are delighted to play our role here. I bring the wisdom of 64 departments. People from those departments give that wisdom to me to bring here because I am elected by them. No committee system will replace that, particularly one that is not allowed to meet in the AV room or one in which people are kicked off it because the Taoiseach does not like their views. The two old Clongownians against elitism should recognise the presence and value of the university Senators. Their approach is an affront to the entire community and I hope that it takes the appropriate action at Friday's referendum.