Dáil debates

Wednesday, 7 November 2007

11:00 am

Photo of Caoimhghín Ó CaoláinCaoimhghín Ó Caoláin (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)

I welcome the establishment of the Joint Committee on the Implementation of the Good Friday Agreement. I hope all MPs in the Six Counties will avail of the opportunity to attend meetings of the committee and to participate in its activities. I do not doubt that the Taoiseach will echo my call. In light of the establishment of the committee, where stands the Taoiseach's original proposal regarding the access of Northern Irish MPs to a committee of the whole Dáil? Can the Taoiseach clarify — he has not done so to date — whether he sees the new Joint Committee on the Implementation of the Good Friday Agreement as a substitute for what he initially proposed? Is he placing on hold the idea of allowing Northern Irish MPs to access certain debates in a committee of the whole Dáil? He will appreciate that I strongly support the latter suggestion. I hope his proposal to proceed with the Joint Committee on the Implementation of the Good Friday Agreement does not mean that the original idea, which other parties were reticent to endorse, is being abandoned. I believe that the initial proposition reflected most accurately the opinions expressed by the all-party committee.

I have examined the proposals for Dáil reform made by one of the Taoiseach's coalition partners. Is he aware of the various proposals which constitute the Green Party's policy in this area? What is his position on them? The Green Party has proposed that the number of Dáil sitting weeks be increased to 45. What is the Taoiseach's position on that? The Green Party has also called for the removal of the power of the Taoiseach to dissolve the Dáil and call a general election. I would be interested to hear the Taoiseach's opinion on this policy of his coalition partners. Does he agree with it? Another very interesting Green Party proposal involves the allocation of committee chairs under the d'Hondt system. As I have not done the arithmetic, I am not sure how it would affect my small interest in this regard. Has the Green Party pursued the development of such an arrangement, or any other proposition pertaining to the allocation of committee chairs, with the Taoiseach? Did it do so during the most recent allocation of such positions, or does it intend to do so in the future? Perhaps the Taoiseach will clarify where he stands on these points. Has the Green Party been pressing him on such matters of Dáil reform?

Comments

No comments

Log in or join to post a public comment.