Time for debate on democracy

The question of household taxes, health cuts, water taxes, pension cuts — and probably chimney and window taxes before long — naturally concerns us all.

Most of us wonder, how these can best be resisted, just as the Government must wonder how much it can get away with. There is, probably, some idea that the emoluments public representatives receive as apart of their office would not go amiss, in adjusting the books. The morality of their receiving the large sums involved is very questionable, although there are bound to be eager apologists for them ready to leap out of every hedge.

Leaving aside for the moment these contingent questions of household taxes and cutbacks, and ways to get the country out of its financial crisis, it might be better to ask ourselves how is it that our political system produces under each and every administration an oligarchy, that however it tries to act fairly or justly, ends up protecting or promoting its own professional, family and local interests?

There is clearly something congenial in our particular form of representative democracy that enables this oligarchy, in different ways, to re-surface each time, with attendant cohorts of professionals, advisers, legal and financial experts, all equally committed to the status quo.

As contributions to solving the financial crisis there has been some talk about a token reduction in the number of TDs or an abolition, partial or otherwise, of the Seanad to facilitate an improvement in the country’s financial situation. It increasingly seems, indeed, that the solutions offered are part of the problem. the problem is endemic and we have a top-heavy, oligarchic and bureaucratic system that permits the confusion of national, local and personal issues and inhibits decision-making and creative thinking.

The unpalatable fact is that the same old oligarchy, give or take a few cosmetic changes, will surface once more to bob about on the ocean of our troubles, all over again.

Perhaps the time has come to get to grips with this and promote real in-depth public debate about the nature of our democracy.

The hope would be that it would lead to fundamental constitutional and political reform, and promote more effective public representation, and local and national government.

It might even lead to a comprehensively thought-out welfare, health and taxation system instead of the present hit and miss, inefficient and self-contradictory system that has been messily inherited.

Richard S Harrison

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