Brendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour) | Oireachtas source

Comhghairdeas leatsa, a Cheann Comhairle, as a bheith atofa i do Cheann Comhairle. The office of Ceann Comhairle is one of the most important in this State. Deputy Ó Fearghaíl held it over the past four years, with great skill and forbearance, more often than not. He steered a difficult Dáil through those four years with enormous understanding of the role of Parliament.

I commiserate with Deputy Naughten who brought many ideas to the debate. I hope those ideas will be advanced by this Dáil. Other speakers talked about the reform agenda and I was privileged to work with the Ceann Comhairle on the Sub-Committee on Dáil Reform, which I hope will also be reconstituted quickly so that in the period between now and the formation of a government, we can consider how we can ensure that the fundamental role of this House in holding the Executive to account is achieved. Since I first came in here, I have grappled with the rebalancing of the Executive and the strength of the Government, which includes the permanent government in the Civil Service, being held to account by the House.

Deputy Naughten's points on parliamentary questions are valid. We all feel frustration and need concrete solutions to that. Those of us who have been asking Taoiseach's questions over the past few years realise that it is not a good use of our time to have set questions rolled over every day and answered pro forma. We need to fundamentally change that. There are things to be learned from how prime ministerial questions operate in other jurisdictions. We need to insist on the attendance of Ministers in the House. There were one or two who seldom came in to answer questions. The idea of putting questions to the full Government and of Ministers being able to answer off the cuff, not in detail but with an understanding of their own area, would make this a much more forceful and central Parliament. We also need to consider how we can reconnect Parliament with people. We have seen extraordinarily good initiatives, for example, the Citizens' Assembly, which has fundamentally altered the way citizens make an input in the formulation of policy, and have smoothed over fundamental policy shifts in a way that debate in this House has not done. We could have more outreach by way of parliamentary scrutiny with citizens' groups to make this place central and relevant to all the people. They are the tasks that lie ahead.

I congratulate the Ceann Comhairle and his wife and family, not only on his re-election but on the very strong and overwhelming vote for him. The first port of call is not to wait for the announcement of the result here; I looked online and found it on The Irish Times website. The vote underscores the high regard the Ceann Comhairle is held in by Members of this House of all shades of political opinion and points of view. I hope that will encourage him to continue with the reforming zeal he showed in the past four years. I look forward to working with him, in whatever role I happen to play in the coming months and years, to ensure that Dáil Éireann is among the most respected, forceful and authoritative parliamentary chambers in the world.

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