As part of our Seanad special series Brian Murphy argues that without crucial interventions in the Seanad, this country’s statute book would have been blemished by intolerant legislation, such as measures to prevent members of minority religions having their children educated outside the State; measures to weigh the electoral system blatantly in favour of the largest political party; and measures to ban opinion polls, with all of the consequent implications this would have for a free press.