‘Asses’ make their own case for a big reduction in Dáil numbers

THE argument that the country needs 166 Dáil members is diminished somewhat by the tardiness of the Government’s approach to holding the three by-elections to fill vacant seats.

It may only be three, but it means Dublin South has only 80% of its supposed requirement of TDs, Waterford just 75% and, most strikingly, Donegal South has just 66%. If, as is the implication, the constituents of these areas can be represented by up to one-third less of the normal compliment then it follows we could just as easily get by with just 120 TDs.

Indeed, when TDs start howling at each other, pantomime-style, about being asses, as we paid for on Wednesday, you wonder if perhaps fewer than 100 might be an altogether better number.