Mark Daly (Fianna Fail)

Winston Churchill once said that democracy seems like a bad form of Government until one considers the alternatives. Senator Buttimer said that the people have spoken, but I remind him that the elections in which they spoke were local elections. Tip O'Neill's great quote, "all politics is local", is often used during local election campaigns. It is also used in general election campaigns. In his great study of local democracy in Ireland, Dr. Liam Weeks of UCC found that 66% of those who voted in the 2004 local elections voted for the candidate, whereas 34% voted for the party. Senator Buttimer has openly called for a general election, but we all know that his colleagues privately do not share that view. In the corridors of this House, Fine Gael Deputies and Senators are looking for an election in the same way that a turkey looks for Christmas. They are making big noises and shouting loudly, but the reality is that they do not want a general election.