An anachronism in the digital age - Oireachtas Christmas cards

THE minor controversy surrounding Oireachtas members use of government facilities to print and deliver documents promoting their achievements is as predictable as it is valid. This year, as an election looms, is no exception.

Senator Averil Power may have topped the print order poll this year by using the service to print 73,000 calendars but Renua’s Lucinda Creighton, who complained that she could not use the over-run facility to print a constituency newsletter, claimed that “one TD had an order for 85,000 Christmas cards.” These figures are a reminder that one of the shabby characteristics of our political culture is the abandon with which politicians use our money to buy our votes.

There are of course valid reasons for supporting those involved in the democratic process but this promotion of individuals, rather than policies, seems questionable.

It is also incongruous that our national parliament should be one of our greatest sources of junk mail. Just weeks ago governments from all around the world met in Paris and struggled to agree on slowing climate change. At this moment it is harder to think of a more wasteful, pointless and vainglorious use of materials that will have to be dumped or recycled than this look-at-me mail shot. It is time this practice was consigned to history — after all, if politicians want to communicate with their constituents they can do so digitally. That would level the playing field and save money.