Green Party leader Mr Trevor Sargent has called for immediate and urgent reform of the Dáil after an opinion poll found that voters view politicians as corrupt, incompetent, lazy and self-serving. Mark Brennock, Chief Political Correspondent, reports.
He was speaking after the results of a Millward Brown IMS poll, published in the Sunday Tribune, showed voters held politicians in particularly low esteem. Asked to choose words to describe Irish politicians 50 per cent said they were corrupt, with just 5 per cent saying they were honest. Some 46 per cent said they were self-serving, 37 per cent incompetent and 22 per cent lazy. Just 17 per cent said they were hard-working, 8 per cent public-spirited, and 5 per cent said they were honest and efficient.
According to the report of the poll, the state of the parties is: Fianna Fail 35 per cent, up one point since the last IMS poll in September; Fine Gael 19 per cent, down 2; Labour 13 per cent, down 2; Sinn Féin 10 per cent, unchanged; Green Party 5 per cent, the Progressive Democrats 4 per cent, and Others 13 per cent, up two.
Some 71 per cent are dissatisfied with the Government, just 24 per cent satisfied and 4 per cent gave no opinion.
The poll also found that 58 per cent believe Judge Alan Mahon should resign as chairman of the planning tribunal because of the tax settlement he made with the Revenue Commissioners in the early 1990s concerning unpaid tax. Some 25 per cent believe he should not resign with 17 per cent having no opinion.
Mr Sargent pointed out that the poll was taken last Tuesday and Wednesday, just as the Government announced that it would propose a week long autumn break. "The Green Party and opposition parties strenuously objected to this proposal."
He called for a longer Dáil working week, to see the House sit from Monday to Friday rather than Tuesday to Thursday as at present. He said proposals for holidays such as this week's should require a two-thirds majority vote in the House.
He said Dáil working hours should be more "family friendly", with business finishing at 7 p.m., rather than 10.30 p.m., as it does on Tuesday and Wednesday. The Dáil should sit throughout the year except August. Currently the Dáil goes into recess for 14 weeks from July to the end of September. Questions to the Taoiseach from party leaders should be taken three days a week rather than two, and Mr Sargent also called for a greater legislative role for the Opposition.