Coalition parties reluctant to specify number of TDs

ANALYSIS:THE FIRST 100 days of a new government's term is seen as critical. Now having reached half way through that trial period, the Fine Gael-Labour Coalition has been particularly active with Ministers making new policy announcements almost on a daily basis.

Yesterday it was the turn of Minister for the Environment Phil Hogan who arrived on the front lawn of Government Buildings to make what was billed as a major announcement on electoral reform.

Hogan confirmed the Cabinet has given the go-ahead this week for another central plank of Fine Gael’s ambitious parliamentary reform agenda – the reduction in the number of TDs in the Dáil.

In its election manifesto, Fine Gael undertook to reduce the number by 20, from 166 to 146. However, Labour was cooler on the idea and the commitment in the programme for government does provide for a reduction but, crucially, is silent when it comes to specifying a number.

Under Article 16 of the Constitution there must not be fewer than one TD for every 30,000 of the population, nor more than one for 20,000.One of the grounds for Pearse Doherty’s successful High Court case to force the government into holding the byelection in Donegal South West was the constitutional ratio of one to 30,000 had been breached for well over a year.

Hogan said yesterday a Constituency Commission would be established in June to consider the preliminary results of the census. The government usually gives such a commission a band or range of TDs. In 2006, it was between 164 and 168. The commission decided to retain the status quo at 166.

What is different on this occasion is that Hogan intends to increase the bands significantly.

He emphasised the constitutional provisions would still apply. Therefore, unless there are major population changes since 2006, the maximum reduction that can be achieved is 20 TDs.

The likelihood is that the maximum reduction in the band will be less than that, given his reluctance yesterday to put a figure on it. Labour has not made public its views on how many TDs there ought to be, but if the final figure agreed between the two is much less than 10, it will be seen as tokenistic rather than radical.