Political reforms have been under way for the past four years at the Houses of the Oireachtas. But because the changes have been largely structural and administrative they have attracted little public notice. Now however, a proposal to employ personal researchers and assistants for all non office-holding TDs, along with more secretarial assistants for senators and extra staffing for Leinster House, may change that. At a time when public services have declined due to a shortage of funding, Oireachtas members can expect criticism.
Nevertheless, the latest proposal from the Oireachtas Commission deserves a fair hearing. Under the Constitution, the balance of power has been tilted heavily in favour of the Executive. Successive governments treated the Dáil as little more than a rubber stamp and their backbench TDs as lobby-fodder. For decades, committees were granted little power and funding was tightly controlled. An analysis by consultants Deloitte and Touche found that, in comparison with other countries, the Irish parliament was significantly under-funded and it recommended that extra staff should be employed.
Few would argue that TDs and senators should be refused the assistance of expert personnel in performing more effectively and efficiently at parliamentary level; a proposed salary of € 40,000 a year for recruits would allow for that. But there would be considerable public concern if the new assistants or researchers were employed primarily in constituency work. The whole thrust of recent Dáil reform has been to break with parish pump politics by abolishing the dual mandate. While TDs must, of necessity, serve their constituents in order to fulfil their electoral mandate, this new layer of personnel must not become enslaved to local representations.
Traditionally, politicians were badly paid in this State because the salaries of Oireachtas members were treated separately and governments were reluctant to award themselves pay rises. The introduction of new pay scales and structures, special allowances and expenses have, however, significantly changed that situation. Unfortunately, as pay levels improved, some old, questionable mechanisms that helped to provide a living wage for elected representatives were not jettisoned. It is now time for the Oireachtas Commission to reform the nature of travelling, attendance and other unvouched and untaxed expenses that have generated a running scandal.
The Oireachtas DIRT inquiry recommended radical change in the way the Oireachtas and its committees were funded, resourced and managed. As a result, it has been accorded the status of a Government Department and given extensive powers over its own affairs. But a central part of that reform programme - the further development of parliamentary inquiries - has collapsed following successful challenges in the courts. The Government has done nothing to rescue the situation. The Oireachtas Commission should concentrate on developing that aspect of parliamentary work.