Too many TDs in the Dáil

It is distressing to know that our small, bankrupt country should have so many parasitic occupations created specially by its legislature.

The Constitution provides for one representative for every 20,000-30,000 people.

Without amending the Constitution, we could have a reduction of 16 TDs, instead of the eight proposed in the bill before the Oireachtas. The elimination of eight will not save the taxpayer much money, but the elimination of 88 would relieve the situation substantially, since the basic pay of a deputy is €95,363, rising to €101,446 for long service TDs.

Then there are the perks: (1) Daily travel to Leinster House €55; (2) Overnight allowances €126; (3) Miscellaneous expenses allowance €5,000; (4) Constituency travel allowance — Table A €2,500, Table B €5,000 and Table C €8,000; (5) Office accommodation allowance — (i) One-off setting-up grant €8,000, and (ii) annual maintenance grant €8,000; (6) Telephone allowance €5,700.

But it does not stop here, as there are chairs of committees (€1,100) and party whips on €1,100.

The poor attendance in the Dáil is disgraceful: iIf foreign visitors were not aware of the traditional scanty attendance of TDs in the chamber, they would imagine — when looking at Dáil proceedings on TV — that Ireland has no more than 30 or 40 TDs!

Britain, with a population of 62m, has 650 MPs; by Irish standards, there should be 2,259 MPs in the House of Commons. According to Irish standards, the US with a population of 314m should have 11,629 members in the House of Representatives, but it has only 650. The Netherlands, with a population of 17m, has 150 in the Chamber of Deputies, by Irish standards there should be 629 in it. When we consider Canada, with a population of 35m and only 308 MPs — not 1,296 according to Irish standards — we are compelled to say the Dáil has too many TDs. Ireland should have less than 60 TDs.

Daniel MacCarron

Westfield

ParkBray