Richard Boyd Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, People Before Profit Alliance)

I welcome the efforts to reform the Dáil. Although I was not here before to know what it was like, we felt some frustration at the procedures and protocols when it came to making the Dáil a place that can really be responsive to the issues that confront the country and which are brought to us by the public. I welcome the fact that the suggestions to bring in a stricter dress code were taken off the agenda, because people are overwhelmingly interested in political substance and not in style.

There are several good things in these proposals. Changing the Adjournment debates to topical debates and taking them in the middle of the day is a very positive proposal. The extension of Dáil sitting time on Tuesday and Friday to allow Private Members' Bills is a very positive move. There may be more required, but I welcome the fact that the Government sees this as the first part of a review of these procedures. It is a welcome change that we can question ministerial answers, as they are sometimes unsatisfactory. I should have a better knowledge of the standing orders, but it would be good if we moved away from completely scripted responses from the Government. Frankly, it is often difficult to work out what people are saying when they are reading from scripts.

More people should be in the Chamber for Ministers' questions. That is a basic reform that would reflect the public's expectations, which is to see more people in here. If we want to be heard, we should come in here. That seems to be a very reasonable proposal.

I would like to see some change in the Order of Business. This is not a criticism of the Ceann Comhairle, who is simply operating according to existing standing orders. I would like to see those standing orders loosened up a bit, not to make it a free-for-all, but to allow for very topical current issues to be raised at that point.

People Before Profit and the Socialist Party are entitled to some party support, but we agree with the technical group that independents should have some support. People like Deputy Murphy are doing great amounts of work, but they do not get the resources that political parties receive for doing that work. It seems only fair and reasonable that they should get some support for that.

Substantially reducing the amount time allowed for questions to the Taoiseach in the Dáil is a retrograde step and I ask the Government to reconsider it. Time should be allocated on two days, but if it is to be reduced to one day, why not make it as long as Ministers' questions? These last an hour and a quarter.

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