Welcome relief from Dáil bearpit - Banking Inquiry

WHATEVER one may think about the success or otherwise of the Oireachtas Banking Inquiry, it has highlighted a welcome shift towards consensus politics among members of all parties and independents who operate in the committee system.

For the duration of the inquiry hearings, there was hardly a cross word between the Labour Party chairman and the other members, at least during the public sessions, and all members have been keen to show that they are taking their respective roles in the inquiry seriously. Contrast this restraint and responsible behaviour with the shenanigans in the Dáil. Anyone watching proceedings from the public gallery in Leinster House or on television will note that they are often less than edifying.

Important legislation being introduced by the Government parties may be objected to for no good reason, or be seen as an opportunity for political point-scoring. Similarly, sensible amendments proposed by the opposition are often shot down to show who’s boss. It is the confrontational nature of our parliamentary plenary debates that turns political engagement into a combat zone.