Louise O'Reilly (Dublin Fingal, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I join my colleagues in thanking the Ceann Comhairle for the patient and diligent manner in which he chaired the Sub-Committee on Dáil Reform. He drove us on by making sure our meetings were run very effectively. I thank the Clerk of the Dáil and all the staff who worked very hard. I echo what Deputy Paul Murphy has just said about the turnaround time for papers. Everything we needed was provided for us. The staff were impeccable. They worked incredibly hard. They are to be commended for that.

While we welcome much of what is in the report, unfortunately this process is about Dáil reform only and does not provide for the kind of political reform we would like. Many of the reforms proposed in the report have been necessitated by the new composition of the Dáil. The members of the sub-committee have been careful to ensure the measures being put in place are future-proofed. They will be as fit for purpose tomorrow as they will be in the longer term. I am pleased to note that if something does not work, there will be a facility to debate further changes in that regard.

When statements on Dáil reform took place in this Chamber recently, I was disappointed to be accused by another Member of the House of being disingenuous. It was suggested that I did not believe in the work of the Sub-Committee on Dáil Reform, that I was not putting my best foot forward and that I was not making my best effort. I think that Deputy's ill-judged statement was corrected by the remarks made by the Ceann Comhairle to the media yesterday, when he commended all the members of the sub-committee on the manner in which we had approached our business. We conducted our work in a manner that focused on solutions. I suggest the report we are debating today is evidence of the spirit of collegiality that was evident at every meeting of the sub-committee. It seems to me that the report echoes something of the new politics about which people are very fond of talking.

Even though our approach was very constructive, as I have said, many reforms that my party and I consider necessary are not dealt with in this report because they were not included in the terms of reference of the sub-committee. I find it incredible that my new workplace has not one but two bars. Aside from providing employment, albeit with somewhat erratic hours, I cannot see any reason for the existence of bars in this or any other workplace. We should use the opportunity presented to us by all the talk of new politics and a new way of doing politics to make some real and lasting reforms. If we think people outside this Chamber agree that we need two bars, we are fooling nobody. The public certainly does not think two bars are needed. Similarly, many people cannot understand why we start every day with a prayer rather than a few moments of quiet and inclusive reflection.

The need for the way we do business in this Chamber to be reformed was brought home to me quite starkly during the statements on climate change a couple of weeks ago. I can say from a personal perspective that what occurred in this Chamber on that occasion did not feel like new politics. Indeed, the points I was trying to raise and the links I was trying to make were reported publicly on 13 May in an official impact assessment report, which highlighted the link to which I was trying to draw attention in this Chamber only to be quite unfairly ruled out of order. I mention this to show that even though a great deal of good work has been undertaken by the members of the Sub-Committee on Dáil Reform in a spirit of collegiality and co-operation, we all have a job to do to ensure this spirit is replicated in all of our dealings in this Chamber and at the various committees.

The draft report on Dáil reform acknowledges the precedence of parties over groups in recognition of the fact that each group of Deputies representing a political party went before the electorate with a set of ideologies and a particular political philosophy. Groups that are formed after general elections come together for technical reasons. If there were other reasons for the existence of such a group, its members would join or form a political party. Unless and until we know the exact composition of such Dáil groups, we cannot know how the pro ratatime distribution will work. I emphasise that regardless of how many groups are formed, the sub-committee's commitment to the precedent of parties over groups must be respected and reflected when time is allocated for critical set-pieces such as Leaders' Questions every time we meet here. We may be in dispute with our colleagues on the benches to our left regarding which of our parties leads the Opposition - I will not get into that now - but it cannot be denied that the Deputies on these benches have a substantial mandate. We expect that this will be reflected during Leaders' Questions and in all set-pieces. We cannot and will not support any notion to the contrary.

A central part of the work of the Sub-Committee on Dáil Reform was the need to make the way we do business in this House better, more efficient and more transparent. I believe we have achieved a great deal in this regard. The scheduling changes may, probably will and most definitely should lead to an increased workload for Deputies. This is to be welcomed. Smaller committee numbers will result in more specialisation for the members of committees and will enable Deputies to develop expertise in certain areas. There will be more work and it will be more focused and more specialised. As someone who has often waited with bated breath for the answers to parliamentary questions, I welcome the proposed sanction on Ministers who repeatedly fail to answer questions. I hope this will lead to less tension in homes where people are watching Oireachtas TV. I am one of those who have been known to scream repeatedly at the television in frustration because Ministers are not answering questions. We will wait the impact of the proposed new sanction. I think it will have a positive effect on how we do our business here. I am sure the Ceann Comhairle will use the powers available to him in this regard sparingly. I hope he will use them to good effect.

Many proposals in the draft report should make us work better as parliamentarians. This process should ensure the work we do is seen by those outside Leinster House who elect us. There is much more that I would have liked to have seen in the report. Now that we have made such a good start, I hope a further suite of reforms will not be too far away. I will conclude by reiterating my gratitude to the Ceann Comhairle for his stewardship of the sub-committee.

See this speech in context