Our political animals are a breed apart – here’s why
If we divided the number by three or four and paid them a competitive salary we might finally get the best people running the country. In the current climate, the politicians seem to be the only ones not tightening their belts.
I did a survey of many countries which are reasonably comparable to Ireland. As you will see that we have the highest number of members of parliament per 100,000 population. (This list does not include our senators).
Ireland has 4.4; Sweden, 3.9; Italy, 1.1; Britain, 1.1; Norway, 3.7; Switzerland, 2.7; Spain, 0.875; Canada, 0.96; New Zealand, 3.1; USA, 0.16; Austria, 2.25; Finland, 3.9; Australia, 0.8; Portugal, 2.3; Holland, 0.9; Germany, 0.79; Poland, 1.2; Greece, 2.8; Belgium, 1.47.
Ireland has four times more than Britain, five times more than Spain and Germany, almost three times more than Belgium, almost twice as many as Austria; 27 yes, 27 times more than the US and over five times more than Australia. In fact, the only countries that come anywhere near Ireland are the Scandinavian countries of Sweden, Norway and Finland.
They can probably justify their numbers on the basis that they have no senators and there landmass is anything from five to seven times greater than Ireland's. Luxembourg is the only country with a higher ratio than Ireland, but this is hardly a worthwhile comparison, it being so small. It has 60 MPs with a population of less than 500,000.
I wonder if a forum could be established to discuss the case substantially to reduce the number of politicians in the Oireachtas. This would probably require an amendment to the Constitution and politicians, naturally, would think that such a development was not in the best interests of the country!
Since the introduction of the euro it has become obvious that Ireland is a very expensive place in which to live. A lot of this can be put down to the taxes and duties imposed pay for the upkeep of our politicians at every level, as well as their ever expanding army of advisers and spindoctors.
Denis O'Donovan,
Dromroe,
Rhebogue,
Limerick.
