Irish Examiner view: First day of Dáil does not inspire confidence

A sharp improvement in standards is needed — not just to appoint a taoiseach, but to maintain confidence in the democratic process

Opposition bench members standing and objecting during the Taoiseach nomination process. Picture: Flickr/Houses of Oireachtas

The first meeting of a new Dáil is always an occasion of pure political theatre, with all in Leinster House signalling the purest of intentions.

Those in power seek to radiate a sense of high purpose while those in opposition seek to undermine that sense of high purpose, though the preferred term is holding the government to account.