Reform? Our TDs probably think that’s what ageing boybands do for cash...
...by a writer who’s not tied to any party, politician or tribe
SO it seems we’re going to get a wonderful shiny ‘new politics’ and that – as I tell my daughter every night at the end of her bedtime story – we’ll all live happily ever after.
Hmmm. Forgive my scepticism, but the reforms I’ve seen suggested don’t address the real problems within our democratic system.
So here’s a simple four- point programme of genuine political reform that would transform our national politics: 1. Remove ministerial power
The biggest problem with our democracy is that a small number of ministers are given extraordinary powers to do things – often fundamentally wrong, misguided or unworkable. And we all know what power does. Just look at some of the things ministers did in the last Dáil: ÷ They personally awarded hundreds of millions of euro in taxpayers’ money to projects around the country. And on a number of occasions, grants were given in ways that directly benefited them politically. In other words, they took our money to buy votes in their own backyards. ÷ They lobbied repeatedly and successfully to break the salary rules when it came to appointing their own acolytes and advisers. ÷ They introduced policies based on personal beliefs, with no mandate (eg, reform of Junior Cert) while refusing to bring in policies which would help people (eg, legislating for generic uniforms in schools). ÷ They pushed through botched and badly thought-through policies, such as the set-up of Irish Water. ÷ They failed to bring i n vital reforms, such as the Broadcasting Charge, because they f eared a political backlash. ÷ They claimed personal credit for government funding decisions such as money for flood relief (viz Alan Kelly) yet failed to secure funds for vitally needed projects such as an urgent s ocial house - building programme (viz Alan Kelly) ÷ They even secretly voted to change the law to allow themselves to drive in bus lanes on the grounds that their time is more valuable than any other citizen’s.
Ministers should represent the policies that are decided by the Dáil. They should not be allowed to personally award ANY money to any organisation – they should merely relay to the civil service what the policy parameters decided by the parliament are, and let civil servants allocate the necessary f unding accordingly. Policy positions in negotiations with other entities, nations or organisations should be decided in advance by a Dáil vote. 2. Strip ministers of all power to make public appointments
For decades ministers have been appointing people to state boards, the judiciary and other public offices, with no process for determining who were the best-qualified candidates. All State board or public body appointments, from the top to the bottom, should be made by the Public Appointments Commission. 3. Make TDs claim expenses, like us… and publish all claims
We all know about Ivor Callely and his expenses fraud but the truth is that since then Leinster House has become even MORE secretive about how TDs spend our money. To this day TDs rip off the system in any number of ways.
The simple solution is to say that every single item of expenditure by a TD spent on official business should be reimbursed by submitting an expenses claim – and that every such claim must be published in full on the Dáil website when it is made. If your TD doesn’t want you to know who or what he’s spending money on, then he shouldn’t be spending your money on it. Any allowances – such as their travel and accommodation allowance – should be scrapped. 4. Make the Dáil adhere to normal working hours
Parliaments used to sit late so that the barristers and bankers who populated them could drop in after work to do a spot of legislating.
Now all our TDs are full-time professionals so why not work professional hours?
The current system makes it incredibly hard for TDs who are parents. For example, Lucinda Creighton was last year criticised for leaving a debate early when, in fact, she was having to collect her daughter from the crèche.
Moreover, who thinks good legislation is passed at 11pm when half the TDs are either exhausted or half-cut, thanks to spending a few hours in the Dáil bar earlier?
There should be set days for the Dáil and set days for constituency business.
On those days, TDs should be at their places of work during the day like the rest of us (unless they are on official business elsewhere).
Those four simple changes would revolutionise our politics, clean up the corruption and cronyism and, most importantly, give power back to the people.
This last reason is, sadly, why I wouldn’t hold your breath for the real changes.