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From the Press Release:
And the real details:50% INCREASE IN SITTING DAYS PLANNED IN LABOUR/ FINE GAEL PROPOSALS FOR DAIL REFORM
Fine Gael and the Labour Party today launched an agreed ten point programme for Dail reform. Among the key proposals contained in the programme is an extension of the Dail sitting week which, together with shorter recesses, would lead to an increase of close to 50% in the number of sitting days each year.
Speaking at a press briefing the Leader of Fine Gael, Enda Kenny TD said:
“We are committed improving the effectiveness, productivity and relevance of the Dail. In recent years the current Government has systematically attempted to downgrade and side-line our national parliament.
“The proposals we are publishing represent a realistic plan that can lead to real improvements in the workings of the Dail. They will result in a very substantial increase in the number of sittings through more Friday sittings and shorter recesses. Our plan will give both government and opposition deputies more opportunities to raise topical issues and question ministers in a meaningful way.
The Leader of the Labour Party, Pat Rabbitte TD said:
“While considerable progress was made in regard to Dail reform during the 1980s and 1990s the process of Dail reform has ground to a halt during the lifetime of this government.
“The failure to modernise our procedures and reform the structure of the Dail sessions has encouraged the view that the Oireachtas is losing its relevance and that the people who are elected to serve have only their own interests at heart.
“The fact is that the overwhelming majority of Deputies on all sides of the house are hardworking public representatives, who are committed to serving the interests of their constituents, but most members also find the outdated procedures to be a major obstacle to them discharging their duties in a satisfactory way. Members of the opposition find them to be a particular obstacle to the role given to the Dail by the constitution of holding the government to account.
“We do not suggest that the ten point plan we are launching today would deal with all of these issues, but their implementation would make a significant contribution to making the Dail more effective and relevant.”
A TEN POINT PROGRAMME TO MAKE THE DAIL MORE EFFECTIVE
· The structure of the Dail sessions and the sitting week date from an era when most TDs were part-timers. Both now need to be significantly restructured. The Dail should routinely sit for four days per week from Tuesday to Friday. Fridays should constitute real sitting days, and should include an Order of Business and Question Time. Business could include items for which it is often difficult to find them at the moment (reports etc) and could also include some Private Members Time.
· Leaders questions should be taken on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. To compensate for the requirement for the Taoiseach to be present on Thursdays for Leaders’ questions, we would consider agreeing to a reduction in the time allocated for ordinary Taoiseach’s questions
· Recesses should be significantly shorter. The Dail should rise not earlier than mid July and should return not later than mid-September. The Dail should sit until the third week of December and return not later than the third week of January. One specific week in each Dail session should be designated for the taking of European related issues.
· At present only a fraction of questions tabled for oral answer are actually answered orally in the Chamber (more than 90% are never reached). The time allocated to oral questions should be increased and as a quid-pro-quo there might be a reduction in the number of oral questions being submitted.
· There has been a significant reduction in ministerial accountability over recent years through the establishment of so many new state agencies or bodies (such as the Health Service Executive). Standing Orders should be amended to require Ministers to place on the Dail record answers provided by agencies or boards within a specified time limit.
· Written questions should be permitted during the summer recess. Replies could be published – say once per week – in a supplement to the Official Report and on the Oireachtas website.
· Standing Orders should be amended to place an obligation on Ministers to ensure that questions are answered properly and fully. The Ceann Comhairle should be given additional powers to police this.
· Private Members Time should be expanded. The additional time should be allocated on a lottery basis to individual members (including government backbenchers) on a lottery basis.
· The adjournment debate format should be significantly revamped. It should be renamed ‘the topical issue’ debate; there should be a minimum of five; they should be taken around the middle of the day and there should be provision for questions at the end. A Minister or Minister of State from the relevant department should be required to be present and there should be an end to the practice of one Junior Ministers responding on behalf of a number of Departments and reading scripts they know nothing about on a range of subjects.
· There is a clear need to review the Standing Order 31 procedure. Requests are rarely granted given that, in theory anyway, it means the abandonment of all other Dail business for that day. However, requests for Standing Order 31s, which are read out on the Order of Business, are being misused to ventilate issues, which clearly have no prospect of meeting the criteria set out in Standing Orders. If our proposals for a revamped adjournment debate/ topical issue were agreed it would be appropriate to place some restrictions on Standing Order 31 request. We would suggest a minimum number of signatories (say 5) would be required for a Standing Order 31 request.
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Originally Posted by wishbone
