Reform of Dail long overdue for democracy's sake.

(From Irish Independent)

THERE IS a misconception about our legislators, that they do not work hard enough. They take long holidays. They have too few sitting days in the Houses of theOireachtas. They award themselves time off without a great deal of justification. Theycharge heavy expenses whenever this is possible, abuse their allowances in whom theyemploy and for what purposes, and generally give poor value in terms of productivity.

Some of this may be true some of the time, and in respect of some of the elected representatives. In the main it is not true. Those who have dealings with politicians knowthat in general they work extremely hard. Theirs is a frustrating task. They must represent all the voters in their constituencies although they have been elected, on average, byroughly a quarter.

When their performance is measured, other than in elections, the process is crudeenough. The opinion pollsters are likely to encounter and record the views of people whodon't really care very much about the political life of this country, don't know the meaningof democracy, have never read the Constitution, but have decided views on those lazy* * * * ers in Leinster House.

And when this array of opinion has been analysed and presented through the media, in terms that are a further summary, and often a lurid and sensational one at that, the result is both sad and dangerous.

It is sad because it is so unfair. We have had a few gifted, brilliant and dynamic politicians during the three decades I have been writing on the subject. There have been good speakers, good legislators, good leaders and good team men and women. There havebeen brave politicians and a lot of cowardly ones. There have been only a few dishonest ones; even if what we know is only part of what is there, the sense of the Dail, under themany different administrations, has been one of a fumbling and uncertain integrity.

What has been at fault, and should be blamed for the loss of confidence, is the way theState - including successive administrations - has controlled the legislature, draining itof the power it should have. Most politicians are, at very best, uncertain of the workability of the Dail and Seanad, at worst as dismissive as the public and media critics.