THE REFORM ALLIANCE of expelled Fine Gael TDs and Senators is calling for a No vote in next week’s Seanad abolition referendum, Lucinda Creighton has said this morning.

Speaking to Today with Seán O’Rourke on RTÉ Radio One this morning, Creighton said that the group had come to collective view “that we have deep concerns about the proposed Seanad abolition”.

“We discussed it length over the last couple of days and eventually we came to conclusion,” she said.

Creighton along with her husband Senator Paul Bradford and Senator Fidelma Healy Eames as well as TDs Billy Timmins, Terence Flanagan, Denis Naughten and Peter Mathews are all now calling for a No vote in next week’s referendum.

Creighton said it would be “irresponsible of us not to advocate a position on it”.

Her comments today come despite Reform Alliance members saying earlier this month that they did not have a united decision on the issue of Seanad abolition as they are a “group of individuals”.

But speaking today, Creighton said: “The Seanad has done a great deal… put major issues on the social agenda.

She added that it is “important that we don’t lose those checks and balances”.

Creighton said that despite the Alliance advocating a vote against the government in the referendum she said that it is unlikely it will oppose the Budget.

“I think it is unlikely we will oppose the Budget,” she said when pressed on the matter but she insisted she hasn’t seen “any budgetary proposals”.

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