In recent days a report from the Referendum Commission was referred to in the other House. It would be useful if the Leader were to arrange a debate on this matter. The Referendum Commission has a statutory obligation to publish a report after each referendum and its report on the Seanad referendum contains a number of interesting recommendations. One of the most interesting findings related to the reasons people voted in the referendum or chose not to vote. The commission expressed concern that younger people did not turn out in significant numbers and referred to confusion concerning the ballot paper. It made the interesting point that 13% of those who voted to abolish the Seanad wanted to retain it, while 6% of those who voted to retain it wanted to abolish it. There was, therefore, considerable confusion surrounding the ballot paper on which universal best practice does not appear to have been applied. It may be of interest to the Leader to arrange statements on the Referendum Commission's report at some point in the new year. Perhaps the matter comes within the ambit of the Department of the Taoiseach. Such a debate would give Senators an opportunity to obtain an insight into Government thinking on the report and the wider issue of Seanad reform.

I endorse the unique proposal made by Senator David Norris to invite his Holiness, Pope Francis, to address Seanad Éireann. It is an innovative and interesting idea which has garnered cross-party support and should be pursued by the Committee on Procedure and Privileges in the context of a State visit.

I have not heard of any decisions being taken on Seanad reform. I have heard, however, that the large number of reports on Seanad reform will be studied by the relevant group. Everything is open for discussion, provided it falls within current constitutional parameters and does not require a further referendum. The Constitutional Convention has proposed that graduates of Queens University Belfast should be included in the electorate for university seats. This could be done without a referendum.

That was one of the proposals made in one of the reports in 2003 when a presentation was made by the National University of Ireland to the Sub-Committee on Seanad Reform and when Senator Maurice Hayes was in the House. Mary O'Rourke might have been Chairman of the committee at the time.

It included an enlarged university constituency.

And the University of Ulster at Coleraine.