Aengus Ó Snodaigh (Dublin South Central, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

Ba mhaith liom comhghairdeas a ghabháil leo siúd ar fad a ghlac páirt sna díospóireachtaí - bhí roinnt argóintí freisin - a bhí againn agus muid ag plé athchóiriú na Dála. Tá sé mar aidhm ag an bpróiseas seo a chinntiú go bhfuilimid mar Theachtaí ábalta an gnó atá romhainn a dhéanamh chomh héifeachtach agus chomh tapaidh agus ba chóir san am atá ann faoi láthair.

Chuireamar gníomh cuibheasach substaintiúil os ár gcomhair chun deileáil le a lán athruithe gur chóir go mbeadh ag tarlú. Don chuid is mó, measaim gur éirigh linn deileáil leo agus tuairisc de mholtaí a chuir faoi bhráid na Dála a dhéanfaidh cursaí i bhfad Éireann níos fearr, ní hamháin don Dáil seo ach do Dháileanna amach anseo. Beidh muidne, nó iad siúd a thiocfaidh inár ndiaidh, in ann gnó a dhéanamh i gceart, thar cheann na ndaoine a dhéanann muid a thoghadh agus thar ceann na bpáirtíthe atáimid ag seasamh ar son nó páirtí ar bith. Tá athruithe suntasacha molta againn sa tuairisc seo agus rachaidh mé tríd roinnt dóibh níos déanaí. Measaim go bhfuil éacht, i slí amháin nó i slí eile, déanta ag an bhfothchoiste ina iomlán toisc gur éirigh linn, don chuid is mó, aontú ar na moltaí seo. Deileáileamar leo ceann ar cheann, diaidh ar ndiaidh, agus bhí siad ar fad fite fuaite le chéile ionas go bhfeictear sa doiciméid seo conas mar a bheidh am an Tí rite amach anseo.

Ar leathanach 33 den tuairisc, tá moladh maidir leis an slí a mbeidh an t-am a bheimid ag caitheamh anseo eagraithe amach anseo. Tá athruithe suntasacha ag gabháil le hamchlár na Dála. Measaim go mbeidh spéis acu siúd atá spéis acu sa Dáil féachaint ar sin. Tá súil agam go mbeidh spéis ag na meáin cumarsáide ann, a bhíonn ag caitheamh anuas orainn nó ag cuidiú leis an gcaitheamh anuas go minic ag rá nach bhfuilimid ag déanamh ár n-obair chuí nó nach bhfuilimid ag dul i ngleic leis an obair atá os ár gcomhair go dian dícheallach. Go minic, déanann siad siúd a bhíonn ag caitheamh anuas orainn ag rá nach bhfuil go leor Teachta Dála sa Teach seo dearmad nach go dtí an Teach seo amháin atáimid tofa. Tá coistí, obair dháilcheantair agus bualadh le toscairí ónar gceantair i gceist. Is é sin an obair a choimeadann muid as an seomra seo go minic agus an fáth nach mbímid ar fad anseo. Ní bheadh obair polaitíochta na tíre seo déanta dá mbeadh muid ar fad gafa anseo ar feadh tríocha nó daichead uair a chloig in aghaidh na seachtaine.

When the proposal to set up a Dáil reform sub-committee was announced, I was a Doubting Thomas in many ways because I have been here before. I have spent too long in the House dealing with reform without seeing much of it. However, I have been surprised by how much we have managed to get through in a short period of time and with relative consensus on the changes that are required, or at least on the attempt to change. What we have before us may need tinkering in later months. There is also a commitment - this is very important for those of us and for the members of the public who made submissions - that it does not end at the adoption of these changes and the adoption of Standing Orders, which will hopefully happen next week or the week after. We have asked in appendix 6 of this report that a future sub-committee on Dáil reform look at a whole range of matters which we did not have time to look at due to time constraints, or which were not exactly pertinent to getting this document through and getting the Dáil up and running as quickly as possible in the way we want.

There are matters relating to quorum. There is the interesting matter of the working group of committee chairs looking at the attendance of Deputies at committee meetings. I asked that we look at a whole range of issues, some of which have been mentioned before, such as the prayer, the conventions of bowing to a Chair and standing up when a citizen who happens to be the Ceann Comhairle comes into the room. There is also the use of consolidated Bills, which we should be using to help us in our work of scrutinising legislation, particularly with the likes of social welfare or finance Bills which are highly complicated and sometimes involve three or four pieces of legislation. There are additional supports required to help the media who are in this House. Are they the fourth estate or the third estate? I cannot remember which one they are.

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