Elaine Loughlin: What should we really expect from our TDs?

Elaine Loughlin: Some politicians favour an emphasis on legislative scrutiny and committee attendance, while others seem to attend every funeral, dinner dance and envelope-opening in their locality, at least pre-Covid.

The accusation that our elected representatives carry on more like parochial messenger boys and less like national legislators is often thrown about.

Membership of the Dáil includes the persistent few, who prompt eye rolls every week when they raise one of their special interest topics that are so hyper-local they border on the farcical.