Paul Kehoe (Wexford, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

Any process of reform of the Whip system must not lose the benefits of our Whip system. Those commentators who claim that a Parliament free of a Whip system would be a utopia ignore the realities that in democracies with very weak Whip systems all too often the loudest and best organised lobby groups hold sway and wealthy interests who can fund their own election campaigns have an advantage. I do not accept that this Bill is the way forward. A constitutional amendment is not in line with the Government's programme commitments on Oireachtas reform and neither has it been endorsed by the Constitutional Convention on Dáil reform. The Bill must be seen in the wider context of Oireachtas reform. The programme for Government sets out an ambitious political reform agenda across a number of Departments including radical reform of local government, regulation of lobbying, steps to encourage more women to run for political office and a programme of Oireachtas reform.

We have introduced many reforms to the Oireachtas. We opened up the law making process by introducing a new pre-legislative stage where Oireachtas committees can consult with individuals and civil society groups on the draft heads of legislation before it has been published. We introduced a system which allows Deputies to draft Bills, introduce them into the Dáil outlining their content and seek to have their Bills selected for a Second Stage debate on a Friday.

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