Marian Harkin (Sligo-Leitrim, Independent) | Oireachtas source

In Ireland, we have not managed to find a space between participative democracy and representative democracy. We say we have, but we have not because representative democracy to some extent - I will not say what the extent is, I will let other people judge that - but it tends to be determined by someone saying "I delivered this for you". Participative democracy is where local communities, groups or whatever work with their elected representatives to try to design the best outcome, and they are part of it. That is a real tension. There is just one question I want to ask from all of this because to me this is really important. How does Dr. Cohen see that we can marry participative democracy and representative democracy is such a way that it will close some of the gaps we are talking about here, recognising the reality of the challenges faced by politicians with re-election and that kind of thing but equally, the challenges faced by communities where their input has to mean something?