Gifting a seat through co-opting is undemocratic and should be ditched

Our proportional representation electoral system has (as always) provided fascinating and, for some candidates, agonising results from first counts to re-counts in our recent election. The uniqueness of PR and the single transferable vote is that it is intended to reflect the preferences of as many voters as possible.

A common catch-cry that has arisen from our current kaleidoscope of representatives is the need for Dáil reform. While such calls may be well founded and well intentioned, they can often sound meaningless to the ordinary citizen far removed from the remoteness of the Dáil chamber.

Political reform is usually slow, and very often un-noticed by the majority of citizens pre-occupied with the personal life issues that prompt them to either vote or not to vote. Many may have forgotten that fewer TDs were on offer in this election (whoever said there were too many?), and the change in Dáil procedure for the election of the Ceann Comhairle can also be counted as part of an evolving process of reform.