Brendan Griffin (Kerry South, Fine Gael)

I very much welcome the efforts made to bring this important matter before the House this evening. Last year's general election result was as much a call for reform as it was a change of political administration and personnel. I believe the constitutional convention will open the door to such reform. The constitutional convention will focus on many areas, including gay marriage, reducing the voting age to 17, reducing the presidential term and extending voting rights to citizens abroad. While I agree with all, I wish to state specifically that I fully support gay marriage and I find it strange that in a Republic that cherishes all of our children equally, this is still a topic for discussion. Having spoken to Deputies Paul Connaughton and Eoghan Murphy, I know they are two other Fine Gael Deputies who feel the same way in the matter.

Unfortunately, I have only three minutes to speak this evening, but I want to use that short time to speak on our electoral system and resultant political system. I hope that reform in this area will be prioritised by the convention. These systems are inefficient and do not serve the best interests of the State and its people. Our national Parliament could very effectively operate with as few as 101 elected Members, including the President. Such a huge decrease in parliamentary representation could only work if it takes place hand-in-hand with meaningful reform of local government. In essence a smaller Dáil would need to be met along the way with leaner but more empowered local authorities with fully salaried councillors, greater local revenue-raising capability and many of the facilities that currently exist for Deputies, such as dedicated social welfare and medical card inquiry lines. These functions could then be removed from the legislators in the new Dáil allowing them and their staff to spend more time on national issues.

In electing our Deputies, I propose keeping the PR-STV system but abolishing the multi-seat constituencies, replacing them with 100 single-seat constituencies of approximately 45,000 people each. Single-seat constituencies would reduce the time spent by Deputies on issues more appropriate for councillors or State agencies by eliminating clientele competition. They would reduce duplication on parliamentary questions, written correspondence, inquiry-line calls and meeting requests. They would also put an end to counterproductive internal party competition and allow the Deputy to spend more time on parliamentary business. Deputies who feel so passionately about the abolition of the Seanad must also be prepared to step back and take an objective look at our own House. Of course such a move would save a fortune financially, but should the real benefit not be that it would lead to a better political system? A smaller Dáil would also give the elected representatives a greater chance to have their voices heard. At present it can take weeks to get selected to speak on topical issues. Similarly oral questions to Ministers are answered on a lottery basis, meaning that it is pot luck to get a chance to question a Minister on the floor of the House.

These are just some of my observations following 16 months in this House. I do not profess to have all the answers to the questions to be asked at the conventional convention, but I certainly feel that our current system is failing and that we need action to remedy it.

See this speech in context