Ombudsman says parliament ‘sidelined’

OMBUDSMAN Emily O’Reilly has called for widespread political reform here – claiming TDs’ and senators’ decisions are too tightly controlled by their party whips – and has blamed poor corporate governance for the overall downturn in the economy.

Addressing the Institute of Public Administration (IPA) and Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accounting on good governance, Ms O’Reilly said: “Unfortunately, the model of government set out in the Irish Constitution has become more of a fiction than a reality.

“In practice, the Dáil and to a slightly lesser extent, the Seanad is controlled very firmly by the Government parties through the operation of the whip system. For all practical purposes, and I very much regret having to say this so bluntly, parliament in Ireland has been sidelined and is no longer in a position to hold the executive to account.”