Mattie McGrath (Tipperary, Independent) | Oireachtas source

We accept that, but it may have troops from time to time. We might all support it on certain issues on various occasions. I certainly will, on constructive items of legislation and business. That is my intention. There is no point in being reckless. If the Government wants to engage and be meaningful, we have to reciprocate. I disagreed with the fact that Private Members' Bills taken on Fridays in the last Dáil were not voted on until the following Tuesday. It was a little strange. It is nice to have the time, but I would not like to see all votes banked and take place in a two hour period to allow backbenchers and others to disappear. It would be a retrograde step.

I have mentioned that pre-legislative scrutiny will be extended to non-Government Bills. Dáil reform comprises many items, which I welcome. It is not one minute too early. It has been promised and promised. The biggest Dáil reform was expected and promised five years ago with the largest majority any Government ever had. It must be welcomed and is not something for which any Government deserves a great clap on the back. The reform is badly needed, wanted and long overdue. A powerful Dáil is a constitutional imperative because it must give effect to Article 28.4.1° of the Constitution which states the Government shall be responsible to Dáil Éireann. It is vital that we go back to this constitutional provision which was included for very good reason. With the economic management committee in the previous Government, accountability left the Cabinet. That committee had four members and was a retrograde step. I hope it has been disbanded.

In 2011 the Government promised radical Oireachtas reform and we all know that that promise ended in the same way as previous promises such as that to burn the bondholders. Professor David Farrell of UCD stated the only reform of any significance made in the Thirty-first Dáil was to introduce pre-legislative scrutiny. He stated that, apart from this one exception, we were left with an Oireachtas that looked much as it did in 2011 and in 1975 when the Taoiseach was first elected to Dáil Éireann. I compliment him on being here for so long. This was not much for an independent observer of some renown to say. Oireachtas reform was one of the central planks of the supposed democratic revolution in 2011. This revolution has been more about style and posturing rather than actual substance.

I welcome the formation of the groups. I am a member of the rural independent alliance. I look forward to working with the Chief Whip and compliment her on her elevation. Our first meeting was this morning. I thank her for her co-operation and generosity of spirit and look forward to moving forward in this vein. I also look forward to working with the other Whips. I was involved in Government formation talks for many days and during those talks the Taoiseach promised several times that we would have a new way of doing business. This has been forced on us by the electorate, thankfully, which chose the formation of the various groups and no one has an overall majority. The Dáil has had to change radically. At least ten times during the talks the Taoiseach said this must happen alongside reform of the Civil Service. This reform should be meaningful and total.

It is needed and has been for a long time. There are many good civil servants, and I compliment them for the long hours of work they do in supporting Governments, but it is vital that we get reform in the Civil Service, and not only there but also down to local and regional authorities. We need fewer diktats from Europe and more engagement. The new committee structure under the d'Hondt system will prove to be meaningful. Some people here have given out or made criticisms that it will be too slow. It will be slow like any change, but we must get this leap of faith. We must accept what the people have said and I hope that everybody will put their shoulders to the wheel and that nobody will unduly delay matters. Some smaller parties might not be happy that they will have to make decisions that might not suit them at committees, but sin é agus sin an tslí mar atá sé. Go n-éirí go geal leis an Dáil reform.

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