Victor Boyhan (Independent) | Oireachtas source

We are speaking on the Order of Business. That is our primary function now. I will touch on two matters. We will later debate the Public Health (Tobacco) (Amendment) Bill 2024. I have two amendments to it and I will be pressing them if the Minister decides he is not prepared to support them. Out of courtesy, I am informing Members there may be votes on that. There may also be votes on the next item of business, the Houses of the Oireachtas Commission Bill 2024.

While we are talking about thanking people, I thank the Oireachtas audit committee, of which I am a member. It does extensive work, working away quietly. Many times when no one in the House knows, we are meeting in these Houses with expert advisers, independent and external members. The work is extensive and covers many aspects of the functions of the Parliament in auditing areas from IT to security to a whole load of things no one knows about until the audit report is published. I acknowledge Peter Finnegan, head of the Houses of the Oireachtas Commission, and Martin Groves for their roles. They are important. It is under the bonnet stuff that we do not necessarily talk about a lot, but it is all documented and done so I wanted to single out and salute its members.

I also take this opportunity to thank Mr. Groves and the Seanad Office. We are indebted to their work. I acknowledge the significant and important role of the Oireachtas Library and Research Service. Without its staff, we simply could not do our work. It is independent, validated and fair. It is an important facet of the work of the Oireachtas and I salute and thank them.I also thank the Leader of the House, Senator Lisa Chambers, and Orla Murray in the Seanad Office. They do a tremendous amount of work, which is not always easy. It is hard to keep 60 Members in this House happy. They collaborate with the Seanad Office and the Government and are a major conduit and link in communication in organising our schedules and agendas and helping us get our business done. It is really important. While we do not necessarily see these people in the Chamber, I thank them.

I thank my own secretary, Councillor Geraldine Donohue, who is known to many of the Senators. I also thank the secretary of the Seanad Independent Group, Samantha Long. They both do Trojan work. On that note, I thank my nominators. It is my intention to run again and I am happy to say I have my nominators already. I am looking forward to filling in my form soon, sending it in and getting out and about.

In the context of the Clerk who oversees our elections, an important report was compiled, from which I wish to leave Members with two takeaways. It relates to the Seanad general election in 2020. On one of the opening pages, titled “Election at a Glance”, it states that there were 22 spoiled votes in the last Seanad election, with a further 20 ballot papers rejected. The breakdown of the rejected ballot papers is really interesting, with four rejected ballot papers in the Cultural and Educational Panel; seven in the Agriculture Panel, which is the panel I am on – maybe I could have gotten a few more votes; four on the Labour Panel; two on the Industrial and Commercial Panel; and three on the Administrative Panel. A total of 42 votes were not counted. That is extraordinary when only politicians are voting for these particular sets of panels. There is a lesson to be learned in this regard. Let us all go out of here to help, assist, educate, support and encourage people to comply with the proper processes of the ballot.

I wish Senators Shane Cassells and Ned O'Sullivan, who are both present, every success as they bow out of politics to no doubt do other things. I wish Senators who are seeking to move from this House to the Lower House, as well as those who seek to return to the Upper House, every success in the forthcoming elections.