Fine Gael senators have demanded that the government give a breakdown of how scrapping the Seanad would save money. Several senators have accused the government of lying to the public by claiming the Seanad costs €20 million a year.
Senator Tony Mulcahy is among those demanding that a minister attend the Seanad this week to outline where the savings would be made.
He said the government was already claiming it could spend the savings on services for people with disabilities.
Earlier, the Jobs Minister said he expects every Fine Gael Senator to back the abolition of the Seanad. Richard Bruton is the Director of Elections for the party with the campaign with a number of regional TDs also appointed.
Meath-East TD, Regina Doherty, has been appointed as the Deputy Director.
Speaking today, she said "At a time when families are making considerable sacrifices, I believe it is only right that the political system does the same. The Seanad is shockingly undemocratic; in fact just 1% of the population voted to elect the current Seanad, and it doesn’t do anything that isn’t already done in the Dáil".
Richard Bruton & Regina Doherty will head the FG campaign
Mr. Bruton added that almost no other country our size has two separate chambers of parliament, and that small countries like Denmark and Sweden "have shown that they can have a better democracy at less cost with single chamber parliaments".
He says his party will run "an energetic campaign, with a strong focus on public meetings and digital media to communicate the message that the Seanad is not working".
He says there is no significance to the fact there is no Senator on the team - and says all of his party members in the Upper House will be expected to campaign for abolition.
