Green party come out to support Seanad ‘no’ campaign to retain the house: Ryan: “You get a smaller political circle but an unchanged political circle in power” – We want to see more oversight of Government affairs, not less
Michael Brennan Deputy Political Editor
His party have joined Fianna Fáil in opposing the abolition of the Seanad, while Fine Gael, Labour and Sinn Fein are calling for a ‘Yes’ vote on October 4.
At the launch of the Green Party’s Seanad referendum campaign, Mr Ryan called for a ‘No’ vote to force the “Abolition is not reform.
You get a smaller political circle but an unchanged political circle in power,” he said.
Mr Ryan also accused the Government of ‘arrogance’ in declaring that it would not reform the Seanad if there was a ‘No’ vote.
“I don’t think they could refuse the political will of the people which would be expressed by a ‘No’ vote in this referendum,” he said.
The Greens were one of the few parties in the 2011 General Election not to call for the abolition of the Seanad.
However, the party was decimated at the general election after its role in Government, with all six of its TDs losing their seats.
