Here’s a link to Fine Gael’s reform proposals in 1985. It was pretty limited in ambition, but interestingly most of what they debated was introduced and to little effect. Presumably at the time these were thought to be somewhat radical. Which may go to show that changes don’t always have the effects we expect.
Some interesting discussion in the Fruits and Votes blog, which among other things argues that my call for a smaller Dail is off the mark – http://bit.ly/dnDCDQ
by Michael Marsh, TCD Micheal Martin admitted on RTE today that an election now would devastate FF if current poll estimates proved to be accurate. At the same time, perhaps paradoxically, speculation about the likelihood of a collapse in the government’s Dáil support seems to have intensified. While Green support looks more firm as their…
[The following is an edited summary of my remarks to the Political Reform conference, hosted by University College Cork, March 26 2010.] It is good to see that political reform is now on the agenda of some of our political leaders. More and more people are calling for large-scale political reform, with an ever-growing list…
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…
The recent financial crisis and meltdown of the Irish economy has sharpened focus on the shape and operation of our political system. A long line of politicians, commentators and academics have now emerged, notably George Lee, Dan O’Brien (The Economist), Noel Whelan, Dr Garret FitzGerald and Professor Gary Murphy. UCC will extend the debate with…
A couple of things strike me about Fine Gael’s ‘New Politics’: 1. Much of the debate in the last few months concerning political reform has focused on two assumptions: (a) ‘Ireland is broken’ (taken from The Irish Times series on ‘Renewing the Republic’) and (b) the political institutions are responsible for this. While there is…
David Farrell The Fine Gael New Politics reform document deserves a close read. There may be details that any one of us might disagree with (e.g. why waste time voting to reduce the President’s term by two years?); there may be other issues we might have liked to have seen included that aren’t (e.g. the…
Noel Whelan’s Irish Times article on FG’s reform proposals.
The Irish Times series continues with a thoughtful article from documentary maker Nuala O’Connor. Much of the reaction has so far been a call to offer solution. O’Connor specifically mentions the 1919 Democratic Programme. An interesting exercise could be to compose a similar document relevant to the 21st century?
Irish Politics Forum 