No sign of Oireachtas reform

Proponents of the ‘no’ vote in the forthcoming Senate referendum are putting the case that it should be retained, but radically reformed.

What utter drivel. There will never be reform in either house of the Oireachtas as long as the only people who can propose and implement any such reforms are the very members of the Oireachtas whose interests would be seriously compromised by reforms.

The outrageous situation whereby TDs and senators are allowed break any law of the land with impunity by saying they are going to, or coming from, the Dáil; the payment of mileage from their homes, even though their cars are not necessary for the job, even though public transport and in some cases free travel is available; payment of “attendance money” for turning up at work (on top of their salaries); “leaders allowance” being paid to single members of a “party”; pensions being paid to attorney generals after just one office period which could be much less than five years; Oireachtas members on overseas junkets claiming attendance money in the Dáil while abroad; Oireachtas members claiming mileage to go around the country exhorting people to break the law; the Callely expenses fiasco.

None of the above abuses have shown any signs of reform, yet we are being persuaded that the Seanad would be reformed, if only we would give it a chance. This is an institution that has gone on for 80 years, with no tangible benefit to the taxpayer, clearly in need of drastic reform, and isn’t it ironic that the general electorate who never had a say in the election of failed Dáil candidates, or trainee Dáil candidates, or loquacious academics, all or most with other jobs, who make up the bulk of the 60 Seanad seats, are now being consulted and even treated with respect, having been ignored for the past abolition.

Joe Kennelly

Inniscarra

Co Cork