Stagg prepared to lock horns on 'working' group

DAIL SKETCH: The "working'' group was announced on Wednesday, as the House returned from its legislative work-free, six-week Christmas recess.

Seemingly, said Stagg, the Government had appointed two people, Government Chief Whip Pat Carey and Green Party whip Ciaran Cuffe, to the specialist Dáil reform group. “However, the statutory Dáil reform committee of the House, which consists of all parties, is meant to address the issue,’’ he said.

He noted that Fianna Fáil, Fine Gael, Labour, Sinn Féin and the Independents had already drawn up Dáil reform proposals.

“The committee was at an advanced stage of putting the proposals together in a Dáil reform package, but all the work has apparently been thrown out.

“The Government Chief Whip and the Green Party whip will dictate the format to the rest of us. Their intention is to steamroll it through the House, but we will resist them strongly.’’

Stagg insisted that any proposals from the “working’’ group would be in favour of the Government rather than the House.

Tánaiste Mary Coughlan, who was taking the Order of Business, said many people were anxious for Dáil reform and the process had taken a considerable period. All the discussions would be brought before the Committee on Procedure and Privileges for a final decision.

Fine Gael’s Charlie Flanagan, who was among those to oppose the Government’s six-week Christmas recess, was also unimpressed by the “working’’ group. “Will the Government involve the social partners?’’ he asked in tones dripping with sarcasm.

“Indeed, they might,’’ observed an equally sceptical Michael D Higgins of Labour.

There was no indication whether the “working’’ group would report before the traditional non-working breaks for St Patrick’s Day and Easter, not to mention the three-month summer recess.

The Tánaiste was flanked by the Minister for Health, Mary Harney, and the Minister for Transport, Noel Dempsey, who made a rapid exit from the House following his speech in the economic debate on Wednesday.

Labour’s Joan Burton remarked that she would secure Dempsey a television reality show: “Get me out of here, I’m a Minister’’.

Ceann Comhairle John O’Donoghue had enough. “Deputy Burton can distribute that suggestion to the networks.’’

Sitting behind the Ministers were some of the still “working’’ Ministers of State who have so far survived the political consensus that 20 of them is too many.

Seán Power, who earlier this month said he would submit to redundancy if asked to do so by the Taoiseach, had political anniversaries on his mind.

He noted the “dignified’’ Mansion House gathering last week to celebrate the 90th anniversary of the First Dáil.

“Are there plans in place to mark the 10th anniversary of the takeover of the Labour Party by Democratic Left?’’ he asked.

Flanagan observed: “Or the first anniversary of Deputy Power’s intention to step down as Minister of State?’’

Labour’s Ciarán Lynch suggested that the Minister of State was preparing for a future career in showbusiness.

Former Democratic Left TD and now Labour leader Eamon Gilmore observed:“A great deal of rehearsing went into that.’’

Then it was back to the resumed economic debate, with the Tánaiste expressing sympathy with those in the Republic no longer “working’’.

Grim reality set in.