ELECTORAL AREAS:PLANS BY Minister for the Environment Phil Hogan to cut the number of TDs by between six and 13 have been roundly attacked by a leading Labour TD as well as Opposition parties.
Labour TD Joanna Tuffy described the move as a rush to populism that amounted to “less accountability and less democracy”.
The terms of reference for a new constituency commission, announced by the Minister yesterday, after the publication of the latest census returns, provide for the number of TDs to be reduced to between 153 and 160 in total, down from its current level of 166.
Mr Hogan initially announced that the number of TDs would be cut by up to 14 but Ms Tuffy pointed out in the Dáil that this would be in breach of the Constitution, which specifies that there has to be a TD for every 30,000 of population.
In its election manifesto, Fine Gael had pledged to cut the number of TDs by 20. Mr Hogan said yesterday that this target was based on the previous census but was no longer feasible under the Constitution due to the larger than expected rise in the Republic’s population.
“I will now set in train the establishment process by writing to the Chief Justice requesting the nomination of a judge to chair the commission. The commission will report within three months of publication of the final census results which are due in April 2012.”
He also said the Electoral Amendment Bill would provide for the introduction of a six-month time limit on the holding of byelections to fill Dáil vacancies.
It also provides for a reduction in the spending limit for a presidential election from €1.3 million to €750,000 and a reduction in the amount that can be reimbursed from the exchequer to eligible candidates from €260,000 to €200,000.
In the Dáil, Ms Tuffy, who had earlier pointed out that a figure of 152 TDs would be unconstitutional, said the 153 figure proposed by Mr Hogan was also problematic as it came too close to the 30,000 limit.
She also queried the wide range being given to the committee. “The Minister is rushing to populism with this Bill, and making mistakes in the process, and there will be less TDs to hold the executive accountable, less TDs to represent the people and a diminution of democracy.
“He is doing this at the same time he proposed to abolish another watchdog under our bicameral system, the Seanad. This is not political reform, it is less accountability and less democracy,” she said.
Fianna Fáil environment spokesman Niall Collins accused Mr Hogan of breaking the election promise to reduce the number of TDs by 20. “The announcement shows just how little substance there is to the Government’s plans for Dáil reform. It is clear that the Fine Gael pledge to cut the number of TDs by 20 was simply an election gimmick,” said Mr Collins.
“Under Minister Hogan’s electoral amendment Bill, the reduction in Dáil numbers is more likely to be in single digits. The Minister will not fool the public into thinking that a cut of as little as six TDs amounts to radical political reform,” he added.
Mr Collins also said that despite all the rhetoric, Fine Gael and Labour had facilitated yet another election campaign that would be funded by corporate donations.
Sinn Féin environment spokesman Brian Stanley opposed the decision to cut the number of TDs, although he welcomed the proposal to hold byelections within six months.
“In the absence of a massive overhaul and strengthening of local government structures, it makes absolutely no sense to reduce the number of TDs sitting in the Dáil. If this is a money-saving proposal we would prefer that the pay of TDs was reduced rather than the actual number of TDs,” he said.
Mr Stanley also objected to the terms of reference for the commission that specified three, four and five-seat constituencies. He called for larger constituencies to ensure greater proportionality in elections.