TDs paid much more than MPs to spend less time attending to the nation’s business

LAST year the Dáil did better than in previous years by sitting for 100 days, while the House of Commons sat for 142 days.

This year doesn’t look to be any better because while the Dáil returned on January 19, the House of Commons was back at work on January 5. It must be comforting for the increasing numbers of people working three-day weeks to know their TDs do the same because in 2009 the Dáil sat only three four-day weeks and no five-day week. In contrast, the House of Commons has a standard four-day working week, and sat for 20 four-day and 10 five-day weeks.

No doubt TDs will excuse the three-day week claiming they have to attend to constituency business, and rural TDs have long distances to travel. But MPs have to attend to constituency business too, and look at the distances that Scottish and Welsh MPs have to travel.