Too Many TDs?

FiscalAvenger

The UK have four times the number of MPs for thirteen times the population, and pay them less.


Why can't we get by with 70 or 80 TDs?

http://fiscalavenger.com

Sleepy

The Green Party have actually stated they'd reduce the number of TD's if elected to government. Unfortunately I can't see any of their coallition partners agreeing to this.

mikemac

I hate the phrase "turkeys voting for Christmas" but it seems apt here.

I'd imagine the easist way to do this is to get the Supreme Court to order it.
What does the Constitution state?
Maybe that court case being taken in Dublin West will have relevent info

Colonel Sanders

micmclo wrote:

I'd imagine the easist way to do this is to get the Supreme Court to order it.
What does the Constitution state?
Maybe that court case being taken in Dublin West will have relevent info

was just thinking the same, is it actually up to the TDs themselves to decide? I don't know, does anyone?

Glenbhoy

I think we've got a much better system than the UK in that the first past the post system means that local constituencies may effectively have no MP looking after local interests, MP's in the UK are not as accessible as they are here.
I also think that the money is not particularly good, which is why we have so much crap running for election - if the money were better, it might mean that more capable people would not have to take a pay cut to move into a job where job security isn't great, and career prospects can disappear in an instant if you happen to back the wrong guy, or if the meeja decide to get you (Ivor can testify to that).

28064212

Sleepy wrote:

The Green Party have actually stated they'd reduce the number of TD's if elected to government. Unfortunately I can't see any of their coallition partners agreeing to this.

Labour might be up for it. From their manifesto:

We will introduce a package of changes to bring about a 50 per cent increase in Dáil sitting days

At least they have a positive approach to Dáil reform. If the Greens hold a balance of power after the election (likely enough), it would be one of the things that they'd use as a successful bargaining chip, especially if Labour put a bit of weight behind them

28064212

Glenbhoy wrote:

...or if the meeja decide to get you (Ivor can testify to that).

Ha, yeah it's the "meeja's" fault that he had to resign

Sleepy

Glenbhoy wrote:

I think we've got a much better system than the UK in that the first past the post system means that local constituencies may effectively have no MP looking after local interests, MP's in the UK are not as accessible as they are here.
I also think that the money is not particularly good, which is why we have so much crap running for election - if the money were better, it might mean that more capable people would not have to take a pay cut to move into a job where job security isn't great, and career prospects can disappear in an instant if you happen to back the wrong guy, or if the meeja decide to get you (Ivor can testify to that).

IMHO, it's not an MP/TD's job to look after local interests. It's their job to run the country to the best of their ability. Local issues are best left to county/city/town councillors as far too often our TD's put local issues in front of far more important national ones.

Unfortunately people are selfish and only care about what happens in their locality so they vote in exactly the sort of people who perpetuate the parish pump politics this country suffers from so badly.

loyatemu

120 TDs would be plenty - you'd have to enlarge the constituencies though or the smaller parties would suffer disproportionately.

Won't happen though - they are turkies in more ways than one.

FiscalAvenger

I also think that the money is not particularly good, which is why we have so much crap running for election

Ninety grand, plus lavish expenses, plus a pension of €50K after only 20 years in office seems particularly good to me, far more than the £60,675 a UK MP gets for reperesenting four times as many people in a much more stressful environment.

http://www.finfacts.com/irelandbusinessnews/publish/article_10007999.shtml

DeepBlue

Glenbhoy wrote:

I also think that the money is not particularly good, which is why we have so much crap running for election

I think you meant to say that "the money is particularly good which is why we have so much crap running for election" .

Over the last number of years the Dail has steadily voted for salary increases for themselves and juicy expenses. They've not been crass enough to do so within sight of an election though so maybe we should give them some credit :rolleyes: .

I think it was Mary Harney who said that "if you pay peanuts then you get monkeys".
Unfortunately the Irish taxpayer is paying a lot more than peanuts and somehow still getting monkeys................

redspider

I too think there are too many TD's but perhaps with a growing population over the forthcoming decades (Ireland is still sparsely populated, South Korea is about the same size and has about 50m people, so has a lot of room for growth!) the level of representation will become more appropriate and more cost-effective. The high level of expenses should be curtailed though, as they are far too generous.

And it is a case of "Turkeys voting for Xmas". TD's pay and conditions should be benchmarked on an international scale by an independent body. Its the results of their decisions though which are more costly on the state than their salary/packages/pensions, etc.

Redspider

Glenbhoy

Sleepy wrote:

IMHO, it's not an MP/TD's job to look after local interests. It's their job to run the country to the best of their ability. Local issues are best left to county/city/town councillors as far too often our TD's put local issues in front of far more important national ones.

Unfortunately people are selfish and only care about what happens in their locality so they vote in exactly the sort of people who perpetuate the parish pump politics this country suffers from so badly.

In general I'd be in agreement, but, I do think there are certain merits in having some accessibility to your supposed representative, the other advantage we have is that most regions should have representatives from each party, the situation in the UK can mean that constituencies without a government MP may be totally neglected - see Northern England throughout the 80's for example.

Ninety grand, plus lavish expenses, plus a pension of €50K after only 20 years in office seems particularly good to me, far more than the £60,675 a UK MP gets for reperesenting four times as many people in a much more stressful environment.

It's actually pretty much the same as Stg 60K, however how many top professionals, businessmen or tradesmen earn less than 100k, not many, that's why we don't have decent calibre people running for office, it's just not worth the hassle.