Seán Sherlock (Cork East, Labour)

My sojourn here for the past year has been one during which there has been a dearth of legislation and a proliferation of statements on everything under the sun. On a personal level, I could say I have enjoyed the experience but I expected when I came to this House that I would be up to my oxters in legislation and debate but the contrary has been the case. I sense a malaise and a lack of appetite for the issues which relate to the governance of this country from the Government side of the House.

Today we debated the Lisbon treaty referendum and I, as a Deputy for Cork East, had five minutes to discuss and put forward the ideas I had but I could not do so in the time available. The time available in this House for political discourse and debate is becoming shorter all the time. That sends a message to the people that politicians could not care one fig about the issues relating to their everyday lives.

We are now going to extend this session by one week. That will feed into that increasing cynicism which exists beyond these walls about political discourse in Ireland. The Labour Party has many ideas and positive contributions to make in working with this Government, in constructively opposing ideas which this Government puts forward and in offering better solutions, if it can. However, the space for discourse and debate has been cut to shreds. That is what exists in the country at present and it needs to be addressed.

I have a particular competence as Labour spokesperson for food provision and agriculture. I have ideas that I could put forward that would, I hope, lead to expanding the base for agricultural production and for dealing with the issues of increased food prices. However, I am not able to do this because the Government and the leaders of the country will not allow me the opportunity to do so, thereby denying me the opportunity to represent the people who put me here. This House has primacy in terms of its democratic function but this is not recognised. The Government is running scared from any kind of debate and is not facing up to its responsibilities. It needs to start doing so straight away.

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