Madam, – When the Dáil debate on the reduction of public sector pay cuts was taking place earlier this month, it appeared from the television coverage that the vast majority of members’ seats were empty. On an issue of such national importance, I would have expected more interest, if not concern, from our elected representatives. If proof were needed that the majority of our TDs have little or no legislative function, their absence from the debate must surely be just that.
The case has been made by more than one political commentator recently that there is no real separation between the executive and the legislature in this country. It is becoming more and more obvious that, for a considerable number of our TDs, their contribution to the State, if any, is limited to matters affecting their individual constituents. I look forward to the day when our government of the day has the political honesty to reform the Oireachtas to reflect this reality.
– Yours, etc,