LABOUR PLANS to set up an independent body to carry out all major financial forecasting on behalf of the State, if the party is a member of the next government.
In a document to be launched tomorrow, Labour says it will establish an independent Fiscal Advisory Council which would “undertake all official fiscal macroecononomic projections and monitoring”.
The party would also introduce a package of changes aimed at bringing about a 50 per cent increase in Dáil sitting days. Instead of the current three, the Dáil would meet four days a week.
The lengthy summer recess would be cut back to six weeks and the Christmas and summer breaks “significantly reduced”. The practice of a week-long break at St Patrick’s Day and Hallowe’en would be abandoned.
The party would “lift the time limit on speeches except in exceptional cases of urgency”. The extra day’s Dáil sitting on Friday would be given over to committee reports and private member’s business.
A petition system would be introduced, similar to the one that operates in the European Parliament whereby citizens or residents in EU states may make submissions. Dáil adjournment debates would be replaced by “topical issue debates” which would be held in the middle of the day instead of in the evening, with a minimum of five issues being discussed.
“New Government, Better Government”, has been written by Wexford TD Brendan Howlin, party spokesman on constitutional matters and law reform, in consultation with colleagues.
It proposes a 90-member convention which would be given a year to review and rewrite Bunreacht na hÉireann, comprised of 30 TDs or Senators, 30 lawyers and 30 ordinary citizens chosen at random, “in much the same way that we choose juries”.
The document says the Seanad should be abolished but adds that this is a decision for the people as a whole and that the constitutional convention would consider all the options. Labour would legislate to restore the previous, wider remit of the Freedom of Information Acts and would extend its remit to An Garda Síochána and other public bodies”. Labour would also introduce a statutory register of lobbyists.