Following on from Senator Ó Domhnaill's assertions about Sinn Féin, I recently took part in a debate with Deputy Pearse Doherty on Highland Radio. He had the temerity to call this institution an affront to democracy and I challenged him on that. For anyone living in the Border areas, listening to Sinn Féin politicians refusing to condemn the murder of Irish citizens and innocent people was the affront to democracy, not the Seanad. Some former Senators, and we all know who they are, have really kicked this around for some reason. They see it as a threat to them. As Senator Ó Domhnaill noted, Sinn Féin has zero credibility when it comes to the issue of democracy. Nobody can contradict me on that.

I ask for a debate on the outcome of the Convention on the Constitution on Sunday where it was agreed that voting rights in presidential elections be extended to citizens of Northern Ireland. We need to be careful here because the President has power to refuse to dissolve the Dáil and to refer Bills to the Council of State. For citizens from outside the Twenty-six Counties to have a say in that is going down the constitutional route. I received an e-mail from a constituent yesterday who told me they had no problem with giving voting rights to people from Northern Ireland but queried why people in Donegal do not have voting rights in Northern Ireland because what happens in Derry affects Donegal. What the Convention on the Constitution is saying is that people in Derry can have a say in Donegal but people in Donegal cannot have a say in Derry. It is a two-way street. The convention should not be all about nationalism. There are two communities in this country and we should embrace both. The convention must be careful in making a populist and ill-judged decision.

I do not easily buy into conspiracy theories but in recent weeks, conspiracy is not far removed from the "Yes" campaign to abolish the Seanad. One should look at some of the people who have come out on behalf of that campaign. Some of them have been rejected by the electorate in the past while some of them have not been exactly successful as public figures. Others are beholden to Government while others are living in expectation of getting something in the future. When I see all those people coming together added to what we hear about two former Ministers involved in a very crude exercise outside the gates of Parliament, I must ask why. I am now coming to the conclusion that the drive for the abolition of the Seanad is not coming from within this country. It is coming from outside this country and the lid is being kept on it in case it might come out before the referendum. There can be no other answer.

I went on radio to debate this issue with one of the people involved in the exercise outside the gates. From his responses, it was more like he was on my side and agreeing with what I was saying. He agreed that the figure of €20 million did not stand up and that the reduction in the number of Deputies would be no more than eight. He was meant to be supporting the "Yes" campaign. I am convinced that in the coming weeks, we will learn how murky this campaign was and how we lost control over our destiny and sovereignty to influences who were not elected by the people. We are talking about democracy at a time like this. If there was any spirit left in us, we would all walk out to the gates of this building tomorrow during an adjournment period and stand up for ourselves, because if the media will not come in and cover the contributions, let the mountain go to the gate outside. What I have heard this morning about the activities in which those two former politicians are involved suggests we need more answers to the questions that have been raised. We have not received those answers. We are going to be celebrating and commemorating the centenary of the 1916 Rising in a couple of years. In the name of God, what will we commemorating and celebrating? If the sacrifices were worth anything, it was to give us control of our own destiny as it is enshrined in the 1916 Proclamation. We are not doing that. Are we fit for purpose?

Senator van Turnhout raised a serious issue regarding the use or non-availability of the audio-visual room which is important to us all, individually and as groups. This House has a proud record of engagement with civic society through the Seanad Public Consultation Committee and the efforts of our Leader, on which we are all agreed. I urge the Cathaoirleach to summon the Committee on Procedure and Privileges Sub-Committee on Seanad Reform to have a calm look at this matter.

I very much support Senator O'Sullivan's comments on that famous race meeting in Listowel, which is the literary capital of the Kingdom. It is not just important to Kerry but to the entire south of Ireland. I do not know what to say about it. Perhaps it is shameful. I would like to go with the Senator to the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine because it is an important matter.

Reference was made to statements made by my colleague, the Minister of State at the Department of Health, Deputy White. I want to put on record that regardless of whether we agree with what he said, he is probably the only person who has actually put up a proper argument in favour of abolishing the Seanad. He has published a very good paper on his website. We must disagree with it but at least we can engage with it, unlike most of the other arguments I have heard for abolition of this House. I disagree with him but at least it is a proper argument. In fairness to the Minister of State, he has taken the time to put his thoughts on paper, unlike everybody else in the debate.

Some Senators mentioned the closing of the audio-visual room to NGOs. I also tried to book it yesterday only to be told that it was only available to schools and committees launching reports. It struck me that this is the people's Parliament and we should strive to open rather than close it. It seems there is a move afoot to close down discussion, critical debate and even democracy in this country. Perhaps the Government's next move might be to curb the media. Perhaps we should reduce the amount of reporting the media is allowed to do. It would not surprise if that was the next thing.

Senator Moloney referred to the report of the Comptroller and Auditor General. Given the outlining of the misspent money and waste in the system, will anybody in this country ever be held accountable for wasting money?