Isn't it time we ditched geographical constituencies?

[GeriC]

We are never going to have a proper national government as long as we have a system whereby each TD represents a part of the country rather than the nation as a whole. They are doing a job more suited to local councillors.
Instead of having geographical constituencies, why not have constituencies related to ministries? For example, a candidate could seek election for the constituency of Finance, Health, or whatever.
Better still, why not sack this incompetent bunch in favour of a Minister of Excellence?

[DeGaulle 2.0]

You could allocate people to constituencies according to their income level as declared to the revenue commissioners, eg 33 5-seat constituencies, from the richest down to the poorest. Maybe this would bring about class politics?

[Catalpa]

We should have a certain number drawn from local levels and the balance drawn from some kind of list system.

IMO

[Mr.De-Regulation]

List system, or as the OP suggests, why not each party nominate a candidte for each ministry? We could keep the ministers low to what is needed like 7?

Law, health, education, foreign affairs, social security, finance and infrastructure?

[seabhcan]

We could have social-economic constituencies which voters could self-associate with.

Engineer and Scientist constituency.

School teachers constituency.

Women's consituency.

etc.

Using the STV system, you could 'join' a number of constitencies, and pass your preference from one to the other. A woman scientist might give her first preference to one of the Science candidates and second preference to the "Women constituency" candidate.

[Rich OC]

Interesting idea electing an individual to a Department - a few problems but I really like the inventive thinking.

[Mr.De-Regulation]

There shouldnt be a womans constituency, nor a mans or any racial or religious break up.

[right-libertarian]

You are confusing the issue altogether... the problem in Ireland is that the executive and legislative branches of Government are linked. That is, there is no true seperation of powers. Why not just alter the Constitution to bring about a true seperation of government arms, having a directly elected executive to run the country and a directly elected legislative to legislate? That way the result of what your trying to achieve (stop TDs acting like CoCllrs) is the same in that legislative influence in executive authority would diminish and people would instead lobby the executive for their roads, or sewers or buses or whatever it is they lobby their TDs for at present

[right-libertarian]

Interesting idea electing an individual to a Department - a few problems but I really like the inventive thinking.

Its not inventive thinking at all, most states in the US have directly elected AGs and Sec States along with Governors, Lt Governors etc. Directly electing Ministers in Ireland is just a step up from that. However, what about the very real possibility that you could have multiple parties represented in Government...eg. Labour Min for Finance, Sinn Fein Min for Justice, Socialist Min for Health, FF Min for Transport.... Cabinet meetings would be interesting to say the least. Totally impractical as nothing would get done. Government requires a certain amount of consensus for things to get done, this would be lost in the scenario presented above.

[Question R24U]

Just make the constituencies so large that parish pump politics becomes a complete distraction and waste of time.

The Mayo/Sligo/Leitrim (re-united, at last) constituency? Lets see Michael Ring attend all those funerals.

The Loais/Offally/Carlow/Kilkenny - people there would have LOCKed TDs

Dublin Central machine would not be able to cop if Clontarf and Finglas were added.

Regional representation is good - it does provide some immediacy.