Oireachtas

Coalition unable to say when change will be implemented - Chief Whip

PARLIAMENTARY REFORM: THE GOVERNMENT has given no commitment as to when it will adopt parliamentary reforms recommended by whips…

HARRY McGEE Political Correspondent
Thu Mar 11 2010 - 00:00

PARLIAMENTARY REFORM:THE GOVERNMENT has given no commitment as to when it will adopt parliamentary reforms recommended by whips of all parties.

Government Chief Whip Pat Carey yesterday outlined to the Oireachtas Committee on the Constitution a range of reforms that are under discussion, including longer hours, more sitting days, and banning TDs from reading from scripts and stifling debate when legislation is being considered by the House.

However, he was unable to say when the Government will implement the reforms other than to say as soon as possible. “I would hate to think that we would go into another parliamentary year without us being able to grasp the nettle on an all-party basis.”

Mr Carey and David Stanton of Fine Gael appeared before the committee to disclose a number of novel proposals recommended by the all-party subcommittee on Dáil reform, of which both are members.

READ MORE

The proposals include:

  • a new leaders-question type session for the tánaiste, or senior minister, on Thursday morning;
  • a new system to allow Opposition parties put up to 10 questions each week to ministers and government departments during periods when the Dáil is not sitting;
  • the replacing of late-night adjournment debates with early-morning commencement debates where the minister must engage with the TD, raising a topical issue rather than relying on a pre-prepared script;
  • a new "30-second question" slot where TDs will have 30 seconds to ask a minister or taoiseach a question with the same time frame given to the response. Mr Carey said this " Larry Gogan Just a Minute Quizidea came from Canada, where it has been used successfully.

Earlier Mr Stanton told the committee, chaired by Fianna Fáil TD Seán Ardagh, that the criticisms of Ireland’s model of parliamentary democracy by Ombudsman Emily O’Reilly this week were valid. He pointed to the arbitrary nature of many of the Dáil’s proceedings and the heavy reliance on scripts.

He said the existence of quangos, including the HSE and the National Roads Authority, had further lessened accountability. “Citizens send us to the Dáil to hold ministers and government to account, but we cannot do it because responsibility has been handed over to agencies.”

FG’s Jim O’Keeffe said reform has been talked about for 20 years and nothing had happened.

LATEST STORIES