POLITICAL REFORM IN IRELAND

Friday, 26th March 2010
Council Room, North Wing
University College Cork

Conference Programme

10.00 –10.15 Registration
Tea and Coffee

10.15 – 10.30 Conference Opening
Prof Neil Collins – University College Cork

10:30 –12:30: Session One
Reform Please!
Chair: Noel Whelan – The Irish Times

Lord Mayor of Cork, Cllr Dara Murphy
Progressing Regional Governance

Dr Aodh Quinlivan, University College Cork
Options for Reform, Local Government in Ireland

Ciaran Lynch, TD – Labour Party
Central Local Relations

Dr Eoin O’Malley, Dublin City University
Democracies die behind closed doors: Opening up Cabinet Government in Ireland

Fiona Buckley, University College Cork
Women, Quotas and Politics in Ireland

12.30 – 2.30
Launch of Government and Politics Review Journal by Micheál Martin – Minister for Foreign Affairs

Lunch and Poster Presentations on Political Reform

2:30 – 4:30: Session Two
Nation State, Global Crisis: Ireland in Focus
Chair: Paul O’Brien – The Irish Examiner

Dr Mary C. Murphy – University College Cork
Many Ideas, Minor Change: What’s Obstructing Parliamentary Reform in Ireland?

David Stanton, TD – Fine Gael
Twenty First Century Dáil Eireann

Dr Theresa Reidy – University College Cork
Seanad Eireann – In Perilous Danger

Prof David Farrell – University College Dublin
If electoral reform is the answer, what is the question?

Prof Gary Murphy – Dublin City University
“Who really makes policy in Ireland? Explaining why interest group power has corroded Irish democracy”

Each session will begin with contributions from invited speakers. This will be followed by an hour long roundtable discussion on the session themes. Contributions are very welcome and encouraged.