Too late to spare the whip after Donnelly quit inquiry

"We believe that in recent years an over-powerful executive has turned the Dáil into an observer of the political process rather than a central player and that this must be changed" — Programme for Government, 2011.

The promise of “radical reform” of politics — made by the coalition parties as they swept into power three years ago — was based on the need to shift more power towards the national parliament and away from central government.

By adding two more members to the banking inquiry last week, the coalition has confirmed all suspicions that it has been doing precisely the opposite to what it said it would: creating an even more powerful central government with a resulting diminution of the ability of the oireachtas to hold it to account.