Madam, – Last year, the Dáil did better than in previous years by sitting for 100 days, while the House of Commons sat for 139 days. 2010 doesn’t look to be any better because, while the Dáil returned on January 19th, the House of Commons was back at work on January 5th.
It must be comforting for the increasing numbers of Irish workers on a three-day week to know their TDs do the same, because in 2009 the Dáil sat only three four-day and zero five-day weeks. In contrast, the House of Commons has a standard four-day working week, and sat for 20 four-day and 10 five-day weeks.
No doubt TDs will excuse the three-day week claiming that they have to attend to constituency business, and rural TDs have long distances to travel. But MPs have to attend to constituency business too, and look at the distances that Scottish and Welsh MPs have to travel.
And MPs aren’t paid more either, because despite more working days, longer travel distances and nearly four times as many constituents to look after, they have a basic pay of €75,000 compared with nearly €93,000 for a TD.
Dáil candidates fight hard to win a Dáil seat, a seat they claim they must need to represent our interests. If that is the case, why are they so reluctant to sit in the Dáil? How can they be representing our interests if they are not sitting in the Dáil?
The functions of the Dáil are to enact laws, supervise the government, and control the finances of the state. There are only 166 people in this country who have the exclusive honour and the privilege of performing these functions. They can only do this when the Dáil is sitting. If the Dáil is in recess how can they perform these functions?
There is much hot air about transforming the public sector to make it more productive and efficient. Perhaps TDs could start with themselves, show leadership by example and sit for at least 140 days this year. It is not as if there is no work for them to do. – Yours, etc,