Jim Daly (Cork South West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I am grateful for the opportunity to contribute to the debate today on the subject of Dáil reform. It is right to commend the sub-committee members who gave of their time so generously, led by the Ceann Comhairle, to deal with the issue. I congratulate the politicians and political parties who put this matter very much to the fore of the new Dáil. I compliment them on the body of work that has been presented to us. There are a number of interesting initiatives in it which will hopefully result in more efficient governance by all of us on all sides of the House in getting our business done. Hopefully, it will make things more interesting and there will be more interaction with the people we have the good fortune to represent.

It is important to look at the interpretation of reform and what we mean by Dáil reform. To broaden out the context slightly during this debate, I note that someone once said change was not reform any more than noise was music. We have to keep our focus on what we are really talking about when we talk about Dáil reform. It is very easy to assume that Dáil reform is the same as political reform. What people are looking for more than anything else is political reform and we must ensure that the steps we take vis-à-visthe Dáil and reform of the institution. It may merely be change and may not be what people are looking for. We have to be very cognisant of that. The most significant reform delivered to the body politic and the establishment was the last election. People looked in from the outside and saw a Government with a massive majority. It seemed to them that these guys could decide that we should all go down on our hands and knees going into mass on a Sunday and vote that through with its big majority. The people did not like the look of that and delivered in spades a very different dynamic in the election through a very different Dáil. They made sure that we had to recognise that and move with them.

I have spoken in the House before about, and continue to lobby for, menu-option politics. That is what people want to see. The political class and political people are always behind the curve and the people are ahead of us. People are not stupid but we can treat them like that sometimes in thinking we can get away with talking out of both sides of our mouths. That has been a habit and a trait of politicians for a long time. People do not want populist politics which is not real and honest with people and which just rolls along saying what people want to hear on a given day. People want to hear the truth. They prefer to hear the facts. That is the kind of reform and real change that is being looked for by the electorate out there. They have started that journey with this recent election and I have no doubt they will continue with it. They are well able to decipher what they want as they go along the way.

A previous speaker referred to one of the most welcome developments, which is that committees will be smaller. It is a very positive step. This next Dáil will constitute a very exciting opportunity. For those of us fortunate enough to be in here, it will be really interesting and challenging. On a political level, it will be much more rewarding for those of us engaging in the process. The new powerhouse and real avenue for, and locus of, change will be the committee system. Those committees will take on a new life of their own. It is a little bit difficult. People do not get the whole idea of this large room here and why there are so many empty seats all the time. Journalists can play on that and play up the empty seats but we all know the reality that this is a very different Chamber. It is not interactive. We make speeches and people listen. There is no two-way cut and thrust, there is no debate and there is no real engagement and, therefore, not many issues are moved on solidly here. In the committees, where we get to challenge, question and query what is going on, we make significant progress in advancing policy. Smaller committees will be even more welcome and effective. I look forward to playing my part in that regard.

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