Bertie Ahern (Dublin Central, Fianna Fail)

RTE and all of the other networks are in a huge period of change in technology and that will have its own reform difficulties for them. Deputy Coveney spoke about a very simple technical proposition. What Deputy Higgins is saying may be right. I have never looked into it, but to do it separately would be incur a big cost factor. On the other points he made regarding the operation of our committees, we have put a huge amount of resources into the committees and their facilities and staffing to try to make the system more efficient. I think it does a lot of good work. It does not get a lot of attention. Maybe other than meeting the various groups and agencies, it could be improved dramatically and that is an agenda.

On Deputy Tom Hayes's point, I know that creates frustration. I think that more current issues could be taken if we could get a system that was not abused. Sometimes these questions are not of huge importance while others are. Given a certain number of hours' notice there could be a time set aside for urgent issues affecting a region or a constituency. I do not think that is an impossible thing to do in Dáil reform.

I answered Deputy Gilmore earlier. I have been Whip, deputy Whip, Leader of the House and of the Opposition. I have held all kinds of positions. Earlier I answered the argument about sitting longer and later. If he really wanted to do that we could have sessions on Mondays and Fridays covering reports on issues. Every time we try to do that, the first thing said by Opposition parties — I have been on both sides of this — is that they will not do that unless there are Questions, including Leaders' Questions, everybody is here and there are pairs etc. That ends the debate. They are not going to get that. Deputy Gilmore lives in the Dún Laoghaire area and I live in Drumcondra, and it is handy for us, but a lot of other Deputies are seven hours away from here. It is just not possible to be toddling in here on Mondays and Fridays. They have to get elected and serve their constituencies. They have to go to other meetings and organise meetings. That is never going to work. It is poppycock. I heard it 30 years ago and if I am still alive I will hear it in 30 years from afar. If we want real reform we can do it, but if it is reform whereby the whole Dáil in its entire structure has to meet from Monday until Friday, I can tell the Deputy not until the cows come in here and sit in the chairs will he see that.

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