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Statement by Micheál on Political Reform
Last updated on 15 Feb, 2011
Summary:
For the first time in an Irish election the issue of political reform is taking centre stage. Unfortunately too much of the debate is about gimmicks which will have little or no real impact on how the business of politics is carried out.
The cost of politics is important - but reducing the cost of politics is entirely separate from real reform. Simply cutting numbers will just mean that we have fewer people doing effectively the same thing as before.
Over the last week a clear difference has emerged between Fianna Fáil and the other parties in relation to how we propose to change the work of government. Each of the other parties is proposing to leave our current system of cabinet government effectively unchanged. They are suggesting some changes to Dáil proceedings and the work of committees but the basic approaches to the selection and work of government would remain unchanged.
In contrast, our proposals would involve a transformation for our government. There has been quite a lot of commentary about this and many questions have been asked which I would like to address this morning.
The structure of how we form governments is increasingly a problem given both the complexity of issues addressed by modern governments and the impact which appointing only Oireachtas members to government has on the work of the Oireachtas. It does not serve the interests of either parliament or government
The current system effectively removes almost 20% of the membership of the Dáil from the daily work of parliament outside of their own departmental areas. If you look at it another way, over one third of the votes required to pass legislation comes from TDs who play no role whatsoever in the debate or amendment of the legislation concerned.
The current system can also directly impact on the work of government. Whose interest does it serve to have ministers running back to Dublin from important negotiations because there’s a fight in the Dáil about when votes will be scheduled? Equally, whose interest does it serve that ministers are prevented from doing official business in order to sit silently waiting for votes?
The current system also does something else more fundamental, it limits the range of talent which can be drawn upon in the formation of a government. Democratic legitimacy is not about the personal mandate of an individual minister – it’s about the mandate of the government and the ability of parliament to hold ministers to account.
In order to ensure that the Dáil’s work is strengthened and that Ministers are more focused solely on their work as ministers we are proposing that they not serve as members of the Dáil and government at the same time.
In order to ensure that we draw on the fullest range of possible expertise in forming governments we are proposing that membership not be limited to members of the Oireachtas.
The Council of Ministers is full of people who are not members of parliament but have been ratified by parliaments and who are subject to the full range of parliamentary accountability. To give just one example from my time serving as Minister of Foreign Affairs, one of my closest working relationships was with Bernard Kouchner who was the French minister for most of the time. Bernard is respected throughout the world for his humanitarian work, his understanding of international issues and his sincerity. He was never a parliamentarian and he was, in fact, a member of the main opposition party in France.
We will have real reform of parliament and government only when we are willing to rethink key structures which have been in place for most of our history as an independent state. We will have real refom of politics only when we are willing to move beyond gimmicks about numbers and costs and focus and implement measures to make the Dáil more representative and government more expert and accountable.