Political commentators are more to blame than elected representatives for any sense of disengagement among sections of the electorate, Labour TD Michael D Higgins has told an Oireachtas committee. Mr Higgins was an expert witness before the Committee on the Constitution, which began its hearings on the reform of the electoral system yesterday.
“If there is a shrinking of democracy in Ireland and if there is, in fact, a disconnect between the people and politics, it’s very important those at least who have had the courage to stand for election shouldn’t beat themselves up as the primary source of that,” he said.