FG byelections Bill does not consider 'emergencies'

FINE GAEL’S Bill to compel the holding of byelections within six months of a vacancy does not take account of unforeseen events or emergencies such as the swine flu epidemic or the foot and mouth outbreak, Minister for the Environment John Gormley has told the Dáil.

He also said he was “giving consideration to establishing an electoral commission on a non-statutory basis to report on the electoral reform agenda set out in the renewed programme for government”.

The Minister was speaking after Fine Gael environment spokesman Phil Hogan introduced the Electoral Representation (Amendment) Bill 2010 to “ensure that all byelections are held within six months of a vacancy arising”.

Mr Hogan said that “for years there has been a lot of chat from the Greens but no action on electoral reform. Tonight the Government party has a chance to show that they are about more than just clinging to power.

“They can demonstrate their seriousness about electoral reform by supporting the Fine Gael Bill”.

He said the Bill “will ensure that all citizens are fully represented in the Dáil. It will prevent governments from blocking the filling of vacant seats as a cynical political tactic to suit themselves. Denying Irish voters their full representation will come to an end. Outside of cynical political interests, there is no reason why the Government should oppose this legislation. Voting against the Bill would simply show the voters – particularly those in Donegal South West, Dublin South and Waterford – that Fianna Fáil and the Greens care only about staying in power and will do anything to deny voters their full representation.”

He said: “Government members and their friends in the media are making ridiculous and false claims that byelections are undemocratic. The opposite is the case. Denying citizens their full electoral representation is the antithesis of democracy yet that would be the result of opposing the Fine Gael Bill.”

Martin Ferris (SF, Kerry North) welcomed the Bill but criticised Fine Gael for its “hypocrisy” in moving the writ for Waterford but not for Dublin South where its own TD, George Lee, had resigned. He said they might be seeking another celebrity candidate such as Bono, Giovanni Trapatoni or Brian O’Driscoll but there seemed to be no enthusiasm among Fine Gael TDs in the constituency for an election. He said that the power to prevent byelections should be removed from sitting governments.

Labour environment spokesman Ciarán Lynch said “it is clear that Fianna Fáil and the Greens are running scared of the electorate and there is now a distinct possibility that there will be no byelection before the Dáil is dissolved. This is an affront to democracy, and is a slap in the face to the people of Donegal South West, Waterford, and Dublin South.”

In his speech Mr Gormley said it was recommended that the electoral commission be established by legislation and it would deal with referendums and all elections. But it was a “major task” and he did not want to see electoral reform delayed unnecessarily and for this reason he was considering establishing it on a non-statutory basis.

He told the House that the Fine Gael Bill took a “mechanical approach to holding byelections” which “does not take account of unforeseen events or prevailing circumstances which may not be conducive to the particular timeframe. “I can think of two emergency health situations in recent years – swine flu and foot and mouth disease – which could potentially have led to the deferment of elections”. They had to retain “flexibility”.