Aengus Ó Snodaigh (Dublin South Central, Sinn Fein)

Tá sé tábhachtach go bhfuilimid ag labhairt faoin gceist ríthábhachtach seo. Ba chóir dúinn a chinntiú go n-oibríonn an Dáil chomh héifeachtach aguis is féidir. Mar pharlaiminteoirí, ba cheart dúinn an méid ama atá againn a úsáid chomh héifeachtach aguis is féidir. Ba cheart dúinn déileáil leis an Rialtas chun an obair atá os ár gcomhair a dhéanamh i gceart agus mar is cóir. Bhí díospóireacht spéisiúil againn aréir ar rún mar gheall ar leasú a dhéanamh ar an tslí ina bhfuil an Dáil á reáchtáil againn. Nochtaítear roinnt tuaraimí spéisiúla. Cé gur ait liom fós go raibh an rún os ár gcomhair, glacaim gur thug sé deis dúinn am a chaitheamh ag déileáil leis an gceist seo. Tá a lán rudaí ann.

B'fhéidir nach dtuigeann roinnt de na Teachtaí nua conas go díreach a oibríonn an Dáil ina iomlán agus atá am na Dála leagtha amach. B'fhéidir go bhfuil míthuiscint orthu maidir leis an tslí ina ritheann an Dáil. Nuair a toghadh mé don chéad uair i 2002, shíl mé go raibh na rialacha agus an slí ina leagadh amach obair na Dála ait. Cosúil le go leor daoine eile, cheap mé gur chóir go mbeadh Teachtaí in ann teacht isteach sa Dáil agus an méid gur mian leo - nach mór - a rá ar chuile ábhar a thagann os comhair an Tí. Tar éis tamall, d'aithin mé go raibh sé de chead ag na 165 Comhalta eile labhairt ar gach ábhar freisin. Thuig mé go raibh gá dá réir an am a roinnt go cóir. Is é sin an fáth go bhfuil ról ag na hAoirí agus an fáth gur chuir mé i gcoinne an rún a mhol an Grúpa Teicniúil aréir. Bhí na Teachtaí sa ghrúpa sin ag iarraidh fáil réidh leis an gcóras Aoire atá againn. Is é sin an fáth go raibh mé ina choinne. Tá bealaí ina féidir linn athruithe a dhéanamh ionas go mbeimid níos éifeachtaí sa ról atá againn agus go mbeadh an Dáil níos éifeachtaí sa ról atá aige.

Measaim gur chóir dúinn díriú ar an méid ama a suíonn an Dáil. Aontaím gur chóir cur leis. Molaim gur cheart dúinn suí maidin Dé Máirt, seachas teacht anseo ar an Aoine. Tá an chuid is mó den phobal ag rá nach bhfuil seachtain iomlán oibre á dhéanamh againn. Tá éileamh i measc an phobail go suífeadh an Teach seo ó Luain go hAoine. Tá an dream ceanann céanna ag iarraidh go mbeadh Teachtaí Dála ar fáil ina dháilcheantair féin maidin, tráthnóna nó oíche. Bíonn siad ag gearán nuair nach ndéanaim freastal ar chruinnithe poiblí sa cheantar nó déileáil leis na ngrúpaí áitiúla. Caithfidh tuiscint níos mó a bheith ag daoine ar an dá thrá atá á fhreastal ag Teachtaí Dála. Tá ról amháin againn ag déileáil le reachtaíocht agus an Rialtas, agus ról eile ag déileáil leis an bpobal a thogh muid. Aontaím gur chóir níos mó a dhéanamh chun fáil réidh le clientelism.

É sin ráite, caithfimid déileáil le grúpaí, comhlachtaí, lobby groups agus gach uile duine go háitiúil agus go náisiúnta. Tá an ról sin againn mar Theachtaí Dála. Muna ndéanfaimid an plé sin le grúpaí agus leis an ghnáthphobal, beimid istigh i bubble anseo agus ní bheimid i dtiúin leis an méid atá á rá lasmuigh. Caithfear am a thabhairt dúinn lena haghaidh. Má táimid chun suí anseo cúig lá sa tseachtain, déanfar gearradh isteach ar an ról sin go háirithe. Tá sé éasca dom os rud é go chónaim i mBaile Átha Cliath. Is féidir liom teacht isteach anseo ó mo dáilcheantar i leathuair a' chloig. Caitheann daoine eile sé uair a' chloig ag taisteal anseo agus sé uair a' chloig ag dul abhaile arís. Caithfimid bheith an-chúramach gan praiseach iomlán a dhéanamh de. Ní chóir go dtiocfadh dream iomlán nua isteach anseo ag gach toghchán toisc nach raibh na Teachtaí a bhí in áit in ann teagmháil leis an méid a bhí ag tarlú ina dháilcheantair agus lasmuigh den Dáil.

Impím ar an Rialtas, má tá an méid ama a suíonn an Dáil le méadú, é a dhéanamh sa tréimhse ina bhfuilimid ag suí cheana féin. Ba chóir dúinn cur leis an am a shuíonn an Teach seo ar an Máirt. Más gá dúinn suí níos déanaí ar an Máirt, an Céadaoin nó fiú an Déardaoin, in ainneoin go bhfuil clainne againn, ba cheart é sin a dhéanamh seachas bheith ag teacht anseo ar an Luain nó an Aoine, ach amháin i gcás éigeandála.

We would come here on a Monday or Friday only in an emergency, which could arise every now and again. In the main we would extend the time we sit on a Tuesday to allow for debates on reports and other issues which should be discussed in the House but which do not require every Member, the Cabinet or the Taoiseach to be present. Time must be set aside to debate many of the urgent reports and inquiries which have been commissioned by this House. Some of the work can be done on a Tuesday morning without cutting into the time allocated for Cabinet meetings, etc.

A number of good suggestions have been made over the years on changing the Dáil and making more effective use of its time. Currently, all amendments to Bills likely to lead to a charge on the Exchequer are automatically ruled out of order, although some may be beneficial rather than costing the State money. As an Opposition we cannot put forward such amendments, although we might hope that a Minister would welcome the suggestion. Given the times we live in, we should look again at the restriction on the Opposition. We should be able to make reasonable suggestions for amendments to legislation, even if they involve financing.

Teachta Ó Feargháil mentioned the debating of topical issues and moving the Adjournment debates to an earlier time. I fear that if that happens we will end up with key spokespersons jumping on this opportunity to highlight major issues. Currently, matters on the Adjournment deal with national or, more likely, local issues requiring a ministerial response. When debates on topical issues are introduced, they should not become an extension of Leaders' Questions involving key spokespersons.

Some changes can look good on paper but after a while they might replicate some of the problems we have already. For example, there is a suggestion of having 30-second questions in the slot currently used for matters raised under Standing Order 32. Every morning a number of Deputies propose to adjourn the Dáil under Standing Order 32 to deal with issues. Perhaps those ten minutes could be used for asking 30-second questions. That would allow ten topics to be discussed very rapidly.

The following reform issue has been discussed for the nine years in which I have been a Member. How do we make the various bodies to which power has been ceded accountable to the Oireachtas? They are called quangos by some people but how can we make them answerable through parliamentary questions in some format? We must draft legislation dealing with the matter, and it would not be beyond the abilities of those formulating legislation to deal with the issue quite quickly. It would be a good result of Dáil reform if we could make the various quangos accountable to the Parliament. They are required to be responsive to the Dáil but they should be more responsive than just issuing an annual report or visiting a relevant committee once a year.

I apologise for missing the contribution of the Government Chief Whip as I was with a delegation visiting the site of the national monument at Moore Street. I hope this Government will extend, secure, refurbish and redevelop the monument appropriately in time for the 2016 commemoration. I understand the Chief Whip referred to the overuse of guillotines to ram through non-emergency legislation in the Dáil. The use of guillotines to ram through any legislation, even emergency legislation, should be resisted as much as possible. Nevertheless, we will see next week the first use of a guillotine since the Government was formed. I urge the Government and the Chief Whip in particular to avoid such action. If that means extending sittings to accommodate as many people as possible and having more time shared between Members, so be it. That would be more appropriate than using a guillotine.

Over the years legislation has been produced quickly and rushed through the Houses. Next week we are to have a social welfare Bill that has not yet been published. I have argued time and again here that there is a danger of rushed legislation returning to haunt the Government. I urge the Government to provide at least two weeks, as it has in the past, for Deputies to peruse and properly examine legislation in order to ensure it is effective. As Deputies we should be able to ensure legislation is correct. That job of work is before us.

I mentioned in last night's debate the booklet entitled Regulating Better, which the Government should consider to see if the regulatory impact assessments can be carried out prior to the publication of legislation. When the heads of some Bills in the last Dáil were prepared, they were sent to committee so there could be hearings. That was a useful tool and the legislation emerged at the end of the process, when the time was taken by the Department to put the heads before a committee and there was a discussion. Such legislation was often much better than examples produced in the orthodox way, meaning it could go through the Dáil much more quickly as time was taken to examine the issue in detail. I urge the Government to consider publishing the heads of a Bill when agreed by the Cabinet so we can begin the discussion. That allows us carry out our work and help the Government see where mistakes are likely to appear.

There were other interesting proposals for reform in the last Dáil. One idea looked to ensure that the Taoiseach would be accountable to the Dáil. There are various views on this and once a new Government takes office, it is normally more protective of the Taoiseach. The Taoiseach should be accountable to the Dáil on any day that it sits, even if that is from Monday to Friday. He should be present in the Dáil as much as the other Deputies, despite his different role.

One of my proposals to make Taoiseach's Questions more relevant is to require written answers to any questions that remain unanswered at the end of the week. This would mean new questions could be raised the following week rather than allowing questions to remain tabled for several weeks. At present, questions can be out of date by the time they are reached, which makes for a stale debate. My proposal would speed up the process as well as ensure questions are more topical.

See this speech in context