Ceann comhairle election may be secret vote

The Government is considering holding the election of a future ceann comhairle by secret ballot, raising the possibility of an opposition TD sitting securing the highly influential position.

The Irish Examiner understands that a major Dáil reform package set to be announced later today will state it still hasn’t decided whether the election or nomination of ceann comhairle will be held by open ballot as it is now, or a secret ballot in the future.

While the ceann comhairle represents all the deputies in the Dáil and is non-political, the position has in the past been accused of protecting the government in the heat of debates.

Last night Wicklow Independent TD Stephen Donnelly said he would welcome a secret ballot, saying it would “give more power back to the Dáil”.

“It would allow deputies of Dáil Eireann to choose who they want to be ceann comhairle without fear of political repercussions from above them,” he said.

The reform package, which was discussed at Cabinet yesterday, is expected to be announced later today by Taoiseach Enda Kenny and Tánaiste Eamon Gilmore.

A Government spokesman said the package was designed “to enhance the legislative process by providing a significant amount of additional time for consultation of legislation”.

One innovative proposal will be to invite independent experts and members of the public to give their views on proposed legislation at the pre-legislative stage, after the draft heads of bill stage but before the drafting of the bill. At present this work is done by civil servants with the advice of the attorney general.

Yesterday Taoiseach Enda Kenny said this new proposal would enhance citizen involvement and he envisaged “comprehensive engagement by citizens at a number of stages through the legislative process”.

When asked if the involvement of the public would make the legislative process even more cumbersome, a Government spokesman said “in this situation we are looking at seven stages through one house, currently it’s nine stages through two houses.”

The reforms will play a central role of the Government’s campaign to abolish the Seanad but many of them are set to be introduced even if the referendum is defeated.

Other key proposals will include not allowing ministers send a representative into the Dáil chamber and read from a prepared script.

The package is also expected to include longer works hours for TDs, less use of the so-called ‘guillotine’ where a government cuts short a debate on legislation by using its majority, and improving accountability through changes to technical issues such as the parliamentary questions system.