Fine Gael’s Deputy Michael Ring, spokesperson on community, rural, and Gaeltacht affairs, has said the €35 million in savings brought about by the party’s Oireachtas reforms could be used for services like transport for hospital appointments, water and sewerage schemes, roads, etc. Dep Ring said the package included a reduction by eight of the number of junior ministers, cutting the number of joint Oireachtas committees by 10, ending the practice of paying fees to those holding positions on those committees, no ministerial pensions to be paid while the member is still serving in either house of the Oireachtas, direct elections for 20 of the Seanad seats, and extending the Dáil sitting week from three to four days.
Dep Ring said that these measures should be included in the upcoming budget and said that if they weren’t Fine Gael would implement these changes if elected to Government.
“The political system has to wake up and realise that it has to radically change the way it does its work and start reflecting some of the realities facing the Irish people. Fine Gael will be producing further policy proposals on the wider economy and public services over the coming weeks but before that it is essential that as political leaders we set out the type of changes that we would make to our work environment. That is why I welcome the changes that Fine Gael would make to the way the Dáil and Seanad operate, that can be included in the April budget and which we would implement if we were elected to Government.
“Some of the highlights of the proposals that our environment spokesman, Phil Hogan and foreign affairs spokesman, Billy Timmins, prepared for the party include:
1. Reduce the number of junior ministers by eight to 12, inclusive of chief whip and European affairs minister.
2. Extend the Dáil sitting times to four days per week.
3. Reduce ministerial staff allocated to work on constituency matters to two.
4. 20 of the 60 senators to be elected directly by the public based on five senators from each of the Euro constituencies. These elections to take place every five years on the same date as local and European elections.
5. Six senators will be elected by all graduates after each general election.
6. Extend the power of the Dáil committees to hold people to account — in particular introduce new constitutional amendment to reverse effect of Abbeylara decision.
7. No special payments to be made to senior management in civil service or agencies arising from failure to discharge their remit.
8. Reduce the number of joint Oireachtas committees by 10 from 19 to nine.
9. No allowances will be paid for committee chairperson, vice chairpersons, or convenors.
10. No ministerial pensions should be paid while a member continues to serve in either house of the Oireachtas.
“Fine Gael is serious about getting this country back to work and back on the right track. As political leaders we have to put our own affairs in order and show that we recognise the scale of the problems facing ordinary workers. Fine Gael is prepared to make the correct changes and show leadership on an issue that we all have direct responsibility for,” concluded Dep Ring.
