Michael D Higgins (Galway West, Labour)

I welcome the opportunity to speak on this motion. In a way it makes a seamless connection to what we have just heard. Discussions about parliamentary reform in general, and of ministerial appointments in particular, raise the issue of trust. It is the most important aspect of a society. I have had the great opportunity and privilege of being a Member of this House for over 20 years and of the other House for nine years and also of being a political scientist. As I listened to the Minister for Finance, I could not but be struck by the high tone that was addressed to the Labour Party because it sought in the debate on a financial matter to make sure that no guarantee was given that was not in the public interest and was not totally transparent. Again, the issue of trust is so important.

I refer to a recent study by Richard Wilkinson and Kate Piggott which shows that trust is incredibly important and also, interestingly, to be the result of societies that have been characterised by more equality than inequality. In other words, the more equal the society, the more easily the citizens can relate to and trust each other. There is a contrast in unequal societies. For the sake of safety, I will cite cases in the United States. Where there is deep inequalities, one sees gated communities in housing and large aggressive vehicles rather than smaller cars. It is as if people are protecting themselves against fellow citizens.

One of the things we have to make sure in everything we do is to say nothing that damages the importance of politics as a profession and political representation in this House as something that is the outcome of a long flow of development. We should remember how we got here. Parliament excluded people without property, women and people of a certain age and so forth. We have to make certain that what we do at this time contributes to the recovery of trust and strengthens representative democracy.

In that regard, it is important that there is a sense of courage with regard to the media. We have not had a good relationship with the media in recent decades. For example, where there is a fundamental difference between parties of the left and parties of the right, not only does the media not engage with their different perspectives, but it seeks to dismiss both of them by simply saying "the politicians". This is ignorant, lazy and damaging. It encourages a kind of corrosive cynicism among the citizenry and people who indulge in it should be quite ashamed at their inability to rise to the level of being what is known as a "Pol. Corr.", as it is called in Irish colloquial reference. It is interesting too to draw a distinction between that kind of casual comment and, for example, the tradition in European parliaments of the parliamentary essay. I think of the essay in a newspaper like El País.

I will turn now to a few general points that are important. If we are talking about parliamentary reform and what happens in this House, one does not read some tautological business. I have a personal view in that I have been against the shortening of time for speeches from the time I was a Member of the House with John Maurice Kelly and others. I would have preferred to speak more rarely but be able to engage with a subject substantively. I do not like the idea of short periods of time that are divided among Members and where speeches are written out. We should ask whether we have advanced Parliament by doing that.

Regarding the motion, there are many Ministers of State but one should not judge the number of Ministers of State on the basis of the patronage of the leader of the party in power. That is where it is wrong. There is a need for some Ministers of State but there must be justification of Ministers of State beyond the members of Cabinet. With regard to the function of a Minister of State, is it reasonable in current conditions to expect a Minister, a member of Cabinet, to attend any kind of public function organised by a corporate body? Should they not provide their own entertainment? I remember when I had the honour of twice being the mayor of a city and people would say things like, "I am glad to see the chain is here tonight.", as if it did not matter who was wearing the thing.

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