Billy Timmins (Wicklow, Independent) | Oireachtas source

That is okay. I said "the majority". Maybe Sinn Féin is the minority. In any case, we could have challenged or looked at the various options and then had the vote. It demeans this House for us to come in here and make a contribution when it is only for the optics, because it is completely irrelevant.

My concern is that this issue has given rise to a certain instability, which is not welcome. It is not good for the country. While I was coming in here I listened to an interview on Newstalk with a referee, Mr. Nelis, from Tyrone, who outlined how he had suffered as a result of social media after he refereed the Meath county final in 2012 and how he was on the verge of attempting suicide because of the abuse to which he was subjected, which is outrageous. In here, many of us are taking our lead from social media. It is a race to the bottom and it is the lowest common denominator. I heard a socialist TD - I am not saying that all of the problems come from the socialist side, because lots come from the capitalist side, for want of a better word - talk about the junior bondholders.

The word "sharks" and several other derogatory terms were mentioned recently on the national airwaves. Does this mean Blessington Credit Union, which was a junior bondholder and lost €300,000, are sharks that should be thrown to the wolves? I do not think so. It is easy to use simplistic language to affect emotions.

Based on the most recent opinion polls, if there was a general election tomorrow, although the outcome might not be as suggested in the polls, based on a 75% turnout, in the region of 20% of the people would vote for the Government parties. That would give rise to an instability that would not help anyone. I note that Sinn Féin has tabled a motion of no confidence in the Taoiseach to be debated next week. I believe the timing of the motion is poor and that the motion does not serve the country well. It is a populous move. Even from a political tactical point of view, it is not a good idea in that it will only rally support around the Government and as such will play into the Government's hands. It is aimed at trying to build a crescendo in advance of the forthcoming protest next Wednesday. The modus operandiof the motion is not to try to better the country but to create instability.

I have been very critical of the Government in the past year since I lost the Fine Gael parliamentary party Whip. However, when credit is due, it is important it be given. We should not agitate and manipulate purely for self-advancement and to create instability which could be damaging for the country. We should bring forth our own proposals. With respect to the media, I do not know how many times I have read in the print media that there were only two or three Members in the Chamber. There are 24 seats in the Press Gallery. I do not expect members of the media to be in the House to listen to me. I know that many of them are in their offices listening to the debate, as are many Deputies. The simplistic and vacuous approach often taken by the media, although not necessarily by members of the media here but generally, to political commentary leaves a lot to be desired.

A few years ago I articulated the view, in terms of representation in the Dáil, that, with the population ever increasing on the eastern seaboard, there was a need for balanced representation based on geography and population, as happens in the case of local councils. After all, is it fair that following the next general election there will be four representatives in County Mayo which takes several hours to drive across, while not far from here there is a five seat constituency that can be traversed in ten or 15 minutes?

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