TWO years after the formation of the first Fianna Fail/Progressive Democrats government in 1987, the parties agreed to "carry out a study of the electoral process with a view to replacing the multi-seat system with a combination of single-seat constituencies and a list system."
Fianna Fail favoured the adoption of the German system, with half of the Dail's 166 TDs directly elected in single-seat constituencies through PR and the remainder selected from a national list commensurate with the strength of the various parties.
The Progressive Democrats did not accept the Fianna Fail proposal, and its only commitment was to examine the system, but the government collapsed before any agreement was reached.
Although the new programme for government simply provides for "a review of the electoral system", Mary Harney spoke yesterday about the possibility of publishing a Green Paper: after that, they might seek all-party support for any proposed changes.
Fianna Fail's Noel Dempsey is the driving force behind the move to change the PR system of multi-seat constituencies. In the 1950s and 1960s, the party made two separate attempts to abolish PR in favour of the straight vote. The latest proposal is a modified version of that approach.
As the largest party, Fianna Fail would be the main beneficiary in terms of extra Dail seats. Life would become much more difficult for smaller parties and Independent candidates would find it almost impossible to get elected.
A debate on the need to reform the electoral system has been rumbling for years, based largely on the need to reduce constituency work pressure on ministers and TDs; to focus them on national issues and to reduce the amount of party in-fighting.
In recent years, ministers and ministers of state have been banned by law from holding on to their local council seats while serving in government. A move to force TDs and senators to relinquish their council seats had to be abandoned in 1993 after an internal revolt within the Fianna Fail parliamentary party.
There is little appetite for change among elected representatives. Last February Mr Dempsey published details of an Oireachtas survey he had conducted in a "personal crusade" to change the system. Fewer than a third of those contacted responded, but of those 53 TDs, 45 favoured Mr Dempsey's proposal for single-seat constituencies, with a list system and the retention of PR.