[Stephen Donnelly TD] Open thread for Q&A.

DeVore

This thread is for an open Q&A with Stephen Donnelly TD who has agreed to give up part of today (Thursday) and tomorrow to answer some questions from the userbase here.

If you want to ask a question please post it below.
If there is a lot of interest in a topic I'll try to break those conversations off into new threads.

Stephen will be here from 10am on Thursday and intermittently throughout the day.




I'd like to kick off if I may.

1. Stephen, you went straight from private sector to being a TD... thats quite a jump! What are your qualifications? Isnt it a bit arrogant to go straight for the top job?

2. Straight down to brass tacks. The economy: Is default inevitable if we don't take drastic action or is it just a "risk/possibility" ... no one seems to agree?

3. Whats it like being "new boy" in the dail... is it confusing/bewildering or do they have some sort of induction system or program for brand new TDs? Whats the strangest thing about the new office/job?


Tom "DeV" Murphy.

AngeGal

First of all, congrats on your election, fantastic accomplishment. I saw your speech in reaction to the Nyberg report, exactly the type of thinking we need more of.

Anyway, questions.

1. Do you think there is any danger of you becoming disillusioned? I would imagine in your previous career your suggestions were implemented more often than not. Given the limits of what you can realistically achieve as an independent TD in opposition, is this a concern? Would you consider joining a political party in order to gain more influence?

2. Are you disappointed with the amount of pork barrel tds? Is there any way to rid Irish politics of localism? I'm guessing No...

Cheers.

Black Swan

Question:
As an independent Teachta Dála, how will you ensure your voice is heard in the Dáil during debates on economic recovery, budgetary, and social issues?

20Cent

Hello Stephen,

Political reform is an issue at the moment, the way things are done in the Dail has let us down.

FG and Labour had Citizens assemblies/conventions in their manifestos which were watered down in the Programme for Government.
Do you think these will go ahead?

What is your opinion on a citizens assembly where a new constitution or constitutions could be formed and presented to the country in the form of a referendum?

Also what changes do you think needs to be made?

Thanks

Yitzhak Rabin

I would also like to congratulate you on your electoral success, and admire your platform.

What would you like to see happen with regards political reform? What changes, if any, to our current electoral/political system would you like to change for the next Dáil?

As an independent opposition TD you have little to no power (if you disagree, then feel free to explain why). What will do you plan to do in this current Dáil in order to represent the platform you were elected on? Would you like to see a different system that allows for opposition/independent TDs to have greater influence, if so, what would you propose?

What is your opinion on the senate, in its current form. Can you envisage a better use for it, or would you be in favour of its complete abolition?

Thanks for your time, and thank you for being willing to face the people who elected you, hopefully many of your colleagues will follow suit.

meditraitor

Good Morning, and well done in the elections, from what I have seen of you on your various media appearances and musings you strike me as a genuine and honest politician with more than half a brain, something I think is badly needed.
My question would be based on your opinion of the current stock of politicians, are they fit for purpose? In the sense that are there enough competent politicians to outweigh the obvious family business politicians and lightweight shylocks that fool the electorate time and time again(Lowry for example)?

beeftotheheels

Hi Stephen,

My question is a bit of a follow on from Dev's question on the economy and default.

We're being told by certain commentators that if we default on debts which we promised to repay we can return to the markets as "the markets have no memory". However, in determining the likelihood of making a profit on a transaction one of the factors to be assessed is risk.

If we unilaterally default, before such default is universally viewed as inevitable, do we not risk undermining our position as debtor/ guarantor such that the markets may infer that in future we will default not only when we cannot pay, but also when it suits us not to pay?

Has any one priced this risk and what it could mean in terms of our interest rate?

Thanks for engaging with us.

pljudge321

Hi Stephen,


Here's a question from one of my friends:"Why have you closed your constituency office since the election, why are you not answering constitutency queries and why have you not tabled a single parliamentary question since the General Election?"


Here's one from me: "As an engineer what are your opinions on project maths and the falling standards and grades in mathematics across the country. What do you fell we could do to address this issue?"


Cheers

Stephen Donnelly TD

Hello boards!

Great to see all the questions coming in. My timetable has shifted around slightly this morning - I'm off to give a speech in the Dáil right now on the EU/IMF deal, but I'll be back online to start answering your questions in less than an hour.

Stephen

bobbysands81

Stephen,

Are you the same Stephen Donnelly that lived in Clonard in Sandyford in your formative years, had a lovely labradour and was the first person on the road to own an Atari?

Yitzhak Rabin

Stephen Donnelly TD wrote: »

Hello boards!

Great to see all the questions coming in. My timetable has shifted around slightly this morning - I'm off to give a speech in the Dáil right now on the EU/IMF deal, but I'll be back online to start answering your questions in less than an hour.

Stephen

To those who wish to watch


http://www.oireachtas.ie/viewdoc.asp?fn=/documents/livewebcast/DailFlash512KB.htm

Stephen Donnelly TD

DeVore wrote: »

1. Stephen, you went straight from private sector to being a TD... thats quite a jump! What are your qualifications? Isnt it a bit arrogant to go straight for the top job?

2. Straight down to brass tacks. The economy: Is default inevitable if we don't take drastic action or is it just a "risk/possibility" ... no one seems to agree?

3. Whats it like being "new boy" in the dail... is it confusing/bewildering or do they have some sort of induction system or program for brand new TDs? Whats the strangest thing about the new office/job?


Tom "DeV" Murphy.

Hi Tom - Thanks for the questions.
1. I'm not sure that Independent Opposition TD is the 'Top Job' :-) That said, it's been a huge jump. I've gone from the highly corporate, quite reclusive world of being a McKinsey consultant, to the very odd world of politics, and to being in the public arena. I guess I've moved from shouting at my tele to shouting (politely!) on my tele. Was it arrogant to go straight into running for the Dáil rather than spending a few years on the County Council? I don't know, I hope not - I just got to the point where I couldn't stand back and watch the train crash that was the previous Government and our economy continue. Critically, my wife, Susan, said that if I didn't at least try to get involved, that I wasn't allowed gripe about incompetent politicians any more - that didn't seem feasible to me.

2. I don't believe default is inevitable, but it's becoming more and more likely. It's hard to see how we can pay our way out of this, with the growth forecast being halved. Pure austerity approaches don't seem to work. We've had higher debt to income (GDP) ratios in the 80's, but there are several problems we have now that we didn't have then.

3. Being the Green Horn in the Dáil - it's been pretty weird. There's no intro manual, and as an Independent TD I don't have the warm embrace of a party to fall into and be guided by. That said, it's pretty exciting. I've just hired my Constituency Manager, and will be advertising in the next few days for a Policy Director (official title is Parliamentary Assistant). We've got a great group of volunteers, we're hoping to open an office soon, and we have some exciting plans for Wicklow.

Stephen.

Brussels Sprout

Hi Stephen,

Congratulations on your election and thank you for taking the time to do this.

Do you think David McWilliam's endorsement of you before the election was the key thing to getting your message heard by the electorate as opposed to all of the other independents in the field?

As an independent and member of the opposition do you have any say whatsoever through committees or other means in shaping any government policy?

What's it like being part of such a disparate bunch as the independent technical group? Do you have any meetings outside of the Dail chamber? Do you have interesting arguments with yourself and Shane Ross on one side and the SP and PBP guys on the other side?

Who of the other Dail members would you be most likely to go for a pint with (if any)?

Stephen Donnelly TD

AngeGal wrote: »

1. Do you think there is any danger of you becoming disillusioned? I would imagine in your previous career your suggestions were implemented more often than not. Given the limits of what you can realistically achieve as an independent TD in opposition, is this a concern? Would you consider joining a political party in order to gain more influence?

2. Are you disappointed with the amount of pork barrel tds? Is there any way to rid Irish politics of localism? I'm guessing No...

Cheers.

Hi AngeGal,

I've no doubt that I will become disillusioned with a lot of what I see. I'm already pretty frustrated by the way the Chamber is run - set piece speeches, political point scoring, very few (though some) real debate and sharing of ideas. However, that's part of the reason I ran. I believe now more than ever that it is possible to help bring about real change. If we can get political reform, or even reform of the Chamber, I've spoken to TDs across the parties and there is pretty unanimous agreement that it's badly broken. I'm hoping to speak with reform experts in the next few days to understand what a 'healthy' parliament looks like. Then the Technical Group may table a motion on reform, and I and they can begin to disseminate ideas. It may be pure naivity on my part, but I really do feel an appetite for substantive change, and I believe I can play a useful role in that.

Join a political party? I haven't given it much thought. Maybe be part of something new? Not sure, too early to say.

The pork barrelling doesn't seem that bad - with the size of the Government majority there's not much room for it except from them. It'll probably still happen, but I'd guess to a much lower extent.

Stephen.

Stephen Donnelly TD

Black Swan wrote: »

As an independent Teachta Dála, how will you ensure your voice is heard in the Dáil during debates on economic recovery, budgetary, and social issues?

Hi Black Swan,

Many ways hopefully - there's the media, there's online and face to face communications (e.g., more town halls), the working with existing community groups, there are several parliamentary avenues (e.g., priority questions, oral questions and written questions), I'll be on at least one committee, there's the many conversations with Government TDs outside the Chamber, there's coordination of Independent TDs (which is already happening - we've now tabled two motions which were debated for hours). I'm just learning, but it seems that if we're smart and focused, there's a lot that can be done.

Stephen.

Wolfe Tone

Hiya Stephen,


What is your opinion on the level of wages TDs receive? Do you believe you should be paid more, or less, and if less why don't you set an example and take that amount? (apologies if you do something similar already, had a quick glance at your site and didn't see anything)

Stephen Donnelly TD

Johnnymcg wrote: »

Up to now you have focused mainly on economic issues but what does you feel that you can contribute to social issues broadly speaking
but in particular social and economic inequalities, social housing, disabilities, suicide. I personally get very irritated by politicians and
commentators focusing so much on the economy and economic issues that social problems get completely overlooked in many
ways. Have you any thoughts on that?


You have said you are in favour of gender quotas - Besides quotas how would you address the issues of the lack of women in politics? approximately how many men and how women were involved in your campaign? - do you think that any of the women in your campaign could be a TD? - the quotas proposed by the oireachtas committee in 2009 was targets for parties - doesn't this ignore independent TDs

Hi Johnny,

Great questions, thanks. I agree that there can be too much focus on the economy without a discussion on the underlying social impact. Before running for election I spent my time between private sector, healthcare and social sector work. My masters degree is in International Development - how to help the very poorest and most vulnerable people in the world. Part of the answer I think is that we've got to have a vibrant economy to support vibrant community. Just look at the two recent cuts to disability benefit, the threatened lowering of the rent supplement income level, the recent (and future) cuts to welfare payments. I'll be meeting several social groups in Bray shortly to hear what they're struggling with and hopefully to help them plan for the future (with my consultant rather than TD hat on). What is happening right now makes me sick - we are paying tens of billions to the super rich to cover their failed investments while we take from the most vulnerable people in our society - I'll continue to fight this.

On gender quotas, the evidence shows that they're the only thing that works - that ****s the system to a new, hopefully better, place. What else can be done - change the working hours in the Dáil to be more family friendly, turn maternity leave into parental leave, make child care a tax deductable, set up a fund for female candidates (much like Emily's Fund in the US), set up exemplar programmes (e.g., the Kennedy School has one for high potential women called 'From Harvard to the While House' or something similar). Lots can be done and needs to be done fast.

I don't know the exact numbers involved in the campaign, but I'd say about 150 volunteers, and I'd guess that over 50% were female. I know several women who'd be interested in running for parliament. I spoke with several during the campaign who would be awesome TDs - Lack of access to fundes was the biggest reason they didn't run - but I'm hoping to be part of something to encourage more in the next election.

Stephen.

Stephen Donnelly TD

20Cent wrote: »

Hello Stephen,

Political reform is an issue at the moment, the way things are done in the Dail has let us down.

FG and Labour had Citizens assemblies/conventions in their manifestos which were watered down in the Programme for Government.
Do you think these will go ahead?

What is your opinion on a citizens assembly where a new constitution or constitutions could be formed and presented to the country in the form of a referendum?

Also what changes do you think needs to be made?

Hi 20Cent,

I think the assemblies are a great idea, and there are many examples of them working successfully around the world. Archon Fung is one of the leading thinkers in this and participatory democracy - well worth a read. I'm hoping that I and the team can begin to do something small moving in this direction in Wicklow over time, and am hoping that Archon might help with the thinking on this (e.g., imagine if every constituency got to vote on the annual County Council budget...brilliant).

I think there will be a consitutional referendum and I don't see why the Government proposals on the citizen's group on this would change. I hope it doesn't. You should also check out wethecitizens.ie - some interesting plans there.

Stephen.

Stephen Donnelly TD

yekahS wrote: »

What would you like to see happen with regards political reform? What changes, if any, to our current electoral/political system would you like to change for the next Dáil?

As an independent opposition TD you have little to no power (if you disagree, then feel free to explain why). What will do you plan to do in this current Dáil in order to represent the platform you were elected on? Would you like to see a different system that allows for opposition/independent TDs to have greater influence, if so, what would you propose?

What is your opinion on the senate, in its current form. Can you envisage a better use for it, or would you be in favour of its complete abolition?

Hi yekahS,

Many thanks. I've hopefully touched on some of this already, so I'll give the list:

Political reform - Complete reform of the upper house, less TDs (say 80ish), complete reform of Local Government (vitally - introducing real transparency and accountability), quotas for female candidates (temporarily), complete form of the Chamber (need real debate and I think it's possible), removal of the party Whip for many votes, Presedential race open to anyone who can get x public signatures (right now, it's possible that David Norris will be blocked by Fine Gael and Labour from even RUNNING for President). That should keep us busy for the rest of this year anyway.

Independent TD - I hope I've addressed this in a previous answer, but basically it's looking like it will be possible to have some real impact - beyond what I had thought possible when I was running.

Thanks,

Stephen.

Stephen Donnelly TD

meditraitor wrote: »

Good Morning, and well done in the elections, from what I have seen of you on your various media appearances and musings you strike me as a genuine and honest politician with more than half a brain, something I think is badly needed.
My question would be based on your opinion of the current stock of politicians, are they fit for purpose? In the sense that are there enough competent politicians to outweigh the obvious family business politicians and lightweight shylocks that fool the electorate time and time again(Lowry for example)?

Good question - tough one, in that 165 of the 166 are elected by the people. As such, this is the group that the people want. I think it is changing - I think the younger batch of TDs is coming from a different place, with more experience from outside politics. The dynasty stuff is still going on, but I sense there is less of an appetite for it now from voters, which ultimately is what will kill it. The Cabinet still, by and large, represents the old world (many were in Cabinet in 1997(?)), but I think change is afoot. I hope so.

Stephen.

Stephen Donnelly TD

beeftotheheels wrote: »

Hi Stephen,

My question is a bit of a follow on from Dev's question on the economy and default.

We're being told by certain commentators that if we default on debts which we promised to repay we can return to the markets as "the markets have no memory". However, in determining the likelihood of making a profit on a transaction one of the factors to be assessed is risk.

If we unilaterally default, before such default is universally viewed as inevitable, do we not risk undermining our position as debtor/ guarantor such that the markets may infer that in future we will default not only when we cannot pay, but also when it suits us not to pay?

Has any one priced this risk and what it could mean in terms of our interest rate?

Thanks for engaging with us.

Hi beeftotheheels,

Let me make a few comments. First, many of the Government TDs are mixing up not paying the Bondholders with a Sovereign default - these are absolutely not the same thing, and the first would save us up to €35bn. If we actually default on our Sovereign debt, yes, that would cause us some serious short term pain. However, the phrase my macro economics prof burned into us for these situations is 'Markets are forward looking'. So I would say that markets have very short term memories. If you've ever spend a few minutes on a trading floor, you'll have a feeling for this. The issue is this - it is highly probably that we're going to default, so the question becomes - Do we wait for the possibility of a European multilateral default, or do we press ahead now? In Mexico in the '80's they waited for many years for the inevitable. Eventually the US rowed in. It's called the 'Lost Decade' - right now, we're about 2 years into our lost decade. It can be done, it's not easy, it would hurt for a year or two, and the total package would be complex and would require intense multiparty negotiations. But - I believe it's better to do that than to wait and hope and see and continue to loose years to economic and social hardship.

Stephen.

Doinker

Hi Stephen,

Congratulations on your election.


Final Gael proposal for political reform includes a reduction of the number of T.D.s and the abolition of the Seanad. This in my opinion merely singing to the gallery and does not address the real reform required (eliminating parish pump politics, establishing accountability for ministers, allowing for real (non-scripted) debate, removal of vested interest etc).

What proposal would you suggest for political reform?

Stephen Donnelly TD

pljudge321 wrote: »

Here's a question from one of my friends:"Why have you closed your constituency office since the election, why are you not answering constitutency queries and why have you not tabled a single parliamentary question since the General Election?"


Here's one from me: "As an engineer what are your opinions on project maths and the falling standards and grades in mathematics across the country. What do you fell we could do to address this issue?"


Cheers

Hi pljudge321,

To your friend's questions:
The office in Greystones was not a constituency office, it was rented for a few years to run the campaign from. I've been trying to decide whether or not to open an actual campaign office in Greystones. There are pros and cons - the biggest con is that it's only really useful for people in Greystones, but not Bray, Wicklow, Arkow, Blessington, etc. So I've been talking to TDs and the team here trying to figure out what is the best way to use the funding available to serve all people in Wicklow and East Carlow. In the last few days we've come down on opening an office in Greystones, but would be very glad of any thoughts on this.

We are answering constituency queries and have several live cases - it took a few weeks to get up and running. Please remember that unlike the rest of the TDs, I didn't have an office, staff or any experience in local or national politics. With ever enquiry that comes in we're having to figure out how we can help, what is appropriate for a TD to do, who do we need to contact and so on. It's taking time, but we're getting quicker and will continue to improve in the coming months.

I have tabled parliamentary questions and have spoken on several occasions - it's all on public record.

If your friend would like to get involved, tell him to drop us a line.

To your question:
As an engineer many, many years ago! - Project Maths sounds insane. Many teachers teaching maths are not qualified to do so. There is no accountability for their performance (or that of any teacher). Our educational standards, including our maths standards have fallen off a cliff in the last decade - radical reform of the entire education system is needed. The required changes are pretty well known. The question is how far the Minister will go in trying to implement them.

Thanks,

Stephen.

DJCR

Hi Stephen,

Congratulations on becoming a TD - A fantastic achievement for you and I'm sure you will do your constituents proud.

Just a quick Hypothetical question for you (on a personal basis):-

If you had the choice between Paying off the IMF/EU deal now and having 2 - 3 years of extreem poverty in your life followed by a booming economy and what is happening now now i.e. putting yourself into so much debt that your life will be in doldrums (stagnated) for the next 20 years.

Which would you pick? (Remember, your only responsible for yourself on this one, no one else will be affected)

beeftotheheels

Stephen Donnelly TD wrote: »

Hi beeftotheheels,

Let me make a few comments. First, many of the Government TDs are mixing up not paying the Bondholders with a Sovereign default - these are absolutely not the same thing, and the first would save us up to €35bn. If we actually default on our Sovereign debt, yes, that would cause us some serious short term pain. However, the phrase my macro economics prof burned into us for these situations is 'Markets are forward looking'. So I would say that markets have very short term memories. If you've ever spend a few minutes on a trading floor, you'll have a feeling for this. The issue is this - it is highly probably that we're going to default, so the question becomes - Do we wait for the possibility of a European multilateral default, or do we press ahead now? In Mexico in the '80's they waited for many years for the inevitable. Eventually the US rowed in. It's called the 'Lost Decade' - right now, we're about 2 years into our lost decade. It can be done, it's not easy, it would hurt for a year or two, and the total package would be complex and would require intense multiparty negotiations. But - I believe it's better to do that than to wait and hope and see and continue to loose years to economic and social hardship.

Stephen.

Can I be pedantic and point out that you have not in fact answered my question?

When I referred to "debt which we have promised to repay" I was referring to guaranteed debt and not sovereign debt.

I'm not disputing that markets are forward looking or that they want to make a profit. I'm simply questioning the basis for assuming that the markets, after what has just happened, will fail to assess risk properly.

Lets take the hypothetical X Plc which makes widgets. Does their share price reflect their balance sheet or does it also reflect the hopes and risks that the market attribute to that stock? Tomorrow morning a class action lawsuit is announced in the US seeking $xbn in damages for health concerns caused by faulty widgets. Do we expect X Plc's share price to remain stable or do we expect the markets to calculate and reflect the risk that X Plc may lose and thus the share price will fall if that risk is adjudged to be real?

Risk is a factor in determining the likely profit on a transaction. The markets got it significantly wrong recently (helped no end by the ratings agencies etc) by undervaluing risk so I would expect them to concentrate more on this aspect going forward.

We can see risk currently being priced into the yields on our debt.

So, I want to know if, in suggesting we walk away from the guaranteed debts, has anyone priced the risk premium into our future borrowing rates?

Sorry for being a pedant about this.

Best regards,

Beef

Stephen Donnelly TD

bobbysands81 wrote: »

Stephen,

Are you the same Stephen Donnelly that lived in Clonard in Sandyford in your formative years, had a lovely labradour and was the first person on the road to own an Atari?

It was a Commodore Vic20 - It didn't have a tape deck, so I had to code my own games, play them, and then looses them when I turned off the computer. I dreamed of an Atari, or the Sinclair with the rubber keys. The kids today have noooo idea :-)

Stephen Donnelly TD

Brussels Sprout wrote: »

Do you think David McWilliam's endorsement of you before the election was the key thing to getting your message heard by the electorate as opposed to all of the other independents in the field?

As an independent and member of the opposition do you have any say whatsoever through committees or other means in shaping any government policy?

What's it like being part of such a disparate bunch as the independent technical group? Do you have any meetings outside of the Dail chamber? Do you have interesting arguments with yourself and Shane Ross on one side and the SP and PBP guys on the other side?

Who of the other Dail members would you be most likely to go for a pint with (if any)?

Hi Brussels Sprout,

Yes, I think David's endorsement helped - particularly in attracting people to some of the town halls.

The Technical Group is great - there are 16 of us, from all over the country and with many different areas of interest and ideas for improving our country. We meet once a week and have coordinated on a range of topics. We haven't really had many disagreements - but we don't tend to get into heavy ideological debates, at least not until after the meetings!

Who to go for a pint with? Any of the Technical Group, of course. You'd have to have Mick and Ming in there, and Richard. I'd quite fancy a pint with Gerry Adams (or Mary). I'd probably buy Leo a pint. Paschal seems like a good sort. David Norris of course. I'm sure there are many more, but I don't know them yet. Any suggestions?

Stephen.

Stephen Donnelly TD

Wolfe Tone wrote: »

Hiya Stephen,


What is your opinion on the level of wages TDs receive? Do you believe you should be paid more, or less, and if less why don't you set an example and take that amount?

Hi Wolfe Tone,

Good, tricky question. Yes, I think TDs are probably paid too much in the current climate. But - if we want people to come into politics with years of experience, we have to accept that that costs money, and that most people could not take, say, a 50% pay cut due to existing liabilities (e.g., mortgage). So, we need to find a balance. There have been some big changes just brought in - the biggest is the pension, which now does not kick in when you leave the job. The lowers the total value of the wage packet enormously (which I agree with). Also, there's not going to be any 'severance' payment I think. This might sound reasonable, but it does mean that you can find yourself in a day with no income and no starts on getting a new job.

I'm not taking a voluntary cut as I've already taken a cut from my previous job. I do believe that the wage will fall again mind you, and am more than happy for the wage to be benchmarked against private sector equivalents and other parliamentarians. In fact, I think this needs to happen urgently across the entire public and semi-state sectors.

Stephen.

Stephen Donnelly TD

Hi Doinker,

Hopefully I've addressed the political reform issues in the reply to yekahS. If there are other specifics you'd like to discuss just let me know.

Stephen.

Stephen Donnelly TD

DJCR wrote: »

Just a quick Hypothetical question for you (on a personal basis):-

If you had the choice between Paying off the IMF/EU deal now and having 2 - 3 years of extreem poverty in your life followed by a booming economy and what is happening now now i.e. putting yourself into so much debt that your life will be in doldrums (stagnated) for the next 20 years.

Which would you pick? (Remember, your only responsible for yourself on this one, no one else will be affected)

Hi DJCR - I think I'd pick the 2 to 3 years of poverty.

Stephen.

Agent Smith

Hello Deputy,

Congratulations on your election.

2 questions.

Of all the represented Parties in the Dail, (FG LAB, FF, SF, ULA, SP) Who would Identify yourself more with. as in, If you had to join a party, which would be the party that you would be most comfortable with.

Second question.
What would you say is the nicest party of being a TD? Opposed to the feeling of warmth that you get from helping to your constituents :pac:

paudy1

Stephen Donnelly TD wrote: »

Hi pljudge321,

To your friend's questions:
The office in Greystones was not a constituency office, it was rented for a few years to run the campaign from. I've been trying to decide whether or not to open an actual campaign office in Greystones. There are pros and cons - the biggest con is that it's only really useful for people in Greystones, but not Bray, Wicklow, Arkow, Blessington, etc. So I've been talking to TDs and the team here trying to figure out what is the best way to use the funding available to serve all people in Wicklow and East Carlow. In the last few days we've come down on opening an office in Greystones, but would be very glad of any thoughts on this.

Hi Stephen,

Great to see you continuing your online engagement with the people now that you have become elected.

I would hope that you don't forget your promises at your town hall meetings to have regular visits / clinics in the south of the county and not just limit yourself to Greystones. Even if it's a bi-monthly morning in a hotel lobby, it would mean alot to the people of south Wicklow who voted in large numbers for you.

All the best and keep up the good work.

stewie01

hello

because there seems to be a thread of some sort on cannabis use on boards.ie daily, what is your stance on the legalisation of cannabis for a) medicinal use and b) recreational use in ireland.

thanks if you answer.

Stephen Donnelly TD

Hi all,

Thanks for the great questions, please keep them coming. I'm off now for a few hours and will be back to this later.

Thanks,

Stephen.

Wolfe Tone

Stephen Donnelly TD wrote: »

Hi Wolfe Tone,

Good, tricky question. Yes, I think TDs are probably paid too much in the current climate. But - if we want people to come into politics with years of experience, we have to accept that that costs money, and that most people could not take, say, a 50% pay cut due to existing liabilities (e.g., mortgage). So, we need to find a balance. There have been some big changes just brought in - the biggest is the pension, which now does not kick in when you leave the job. The lowers the total value of the wage packet enormously (which I agree with). Also, there's not going to be any 'severance' payment I think. This might sound reasonable, but it does mean that you can find yourself in a day with no income and no starts on getting a new job.

I'm not taking a voluntary cut as I've already taken a cut from my previous job. I do believe that the wage will fall again mind you, and am more than happy for the wage to be benchmarked against private sector equivalents and other parliamentarians. In fact, I think this needs to happen urgently across the entire public and semi-state sectors.

Stephen.

Cheers for answering...


Just to make sure I have this right, you think you should be paid less, yet you won't take a cut unless you are forced to?

As someone "at the top" why don't you be proactive and lead by example?

This attitude annoys me, you think something should be changed, you think that this change is the morally correct thing to do in the current climate, yet you won't do it? What better way to highlight this issue than to take a voluntary cut?


As for the fact you "already took a cut" thats irrelevant, I and other taxpayers pay your wages now, and Ireland inc is bankrupt.

While not a FG man myself (anything but!) I have to admit I admire Brendan Griffin because he has taken a stand and not engaged in the hypocrisy of saying wages should be cut and not taking a voluntary reduction to back up his words.

The new Kerry South TD gifted €47,000 to the Exchequer leaving him with a salary of just over €46,000.

He added that many people in the Dáil have said TDs' pay should be cut, but they have refused to take a voluntary wage reduction.

http://www.rte.ie/news/2011/0324/politics.html

I think he did the morally correct thing, do you? Its easy to just say something. I think the Irish people are fed up with just words. (this one is anyway)




On a separate note, your views on college fees? As a student myself this is an issue I feel strongly about and I am faced with the very real possibility of having to drop out if they are reintroduced.

JonathanAnon

Hi Stephen,

I've enjoyed your contributions on radio and TV since your election so well done on that.. But my question for you is the same as I what I would put to Constantin, Peter Matthews and other folk of the "I'm a celebrity economist, I'll get us out of this" group.

So what happens the day after we default? At the moment from what I'm aware, Patrick Honohan signs off bi-weekly (saying that we have been good boys) and a big bag of money comes from the East... You say that

"It can be done, it's not easy, it would hurt for a year or two, and the total package would be complex and would require intense multiparty negotiations."

but nobody has explained where the money comes on week 1 of the default, to pay public servants.. So my question would be, if we default on the bondholders and Europe cuts the money coming to us, how is it possible to avoid Public Sector strikes (given that they wont be paid)?

If it helps, I could code up an computer model of the default on my Atari 130XE

Annasopra

Hi Stephen

Thanks for the responses. I appreciate you taking the time out to answer. I'm going to respond to some of your answers though.

Stephen Donnelly TD wrote: »

Hi Johnny,

Great questions, thanks. I agree that there can be too much focus on the economy without a discussion on the underlying social impact. Before running for election I spent my time between private sector, healthcare and social sector work. My masters degree is in International Development - how to help the very poorest and most vulnerable people in the world. Part of the answer I think is that we've got to have a vibrant economy to support vibrant community. Just look at the two recent cuts to disability benefit, the threatened lowering of the rent supplement income level, the recent (and future) cuts to welfare payments. I'll be meeting several social groups in Bray shortly to hear what they're struggling with and hopefully to help them plan for the future (with my consultant rather than TD hat on). What is happening right now makes me sick - we are paying tens of billions to the super rich to cover their failed investments while we take from the most vulnerable people in our society - I'll continue to fight this.

Ok fair points but again you seem to be bringing this back to the economy - what about the social issues that I mentioned in themselves as issues completely separate from the economy? - also there are lots of people that didn't benefit from the celtic tiger 'vibrant economy' - does the economic mantra that a "rising tide lifts all boats" really ring true? My point is that social problems exist independently of the economy and these issues rarely if ever get discussed or addressed.

Stephen Donnelly TD wrote: »

On gender quotas, the evidence shows that they're the only thing that works - that ****s the system to a new, hopefully better, place. What else can be done - change the working hours in the Dáil to be more family friendly, turn maternity leave into parental leave, make child care a tax deductable, set up a fund for female candidates (much like Emily's Fund in the US), set up exemplar programmes (e.g., the Kennedy School has one for high potential women called 'From Harvard to the While House' or something similar). Lots can be done and needs to be done fast.

I really don't think that gender quotas are the only thing that work - I'd kind of like to know what your evidence of this is? Do you not think that gender quotas in themselves can tend to overlook the many issues and reasons that women don't want to get involved in politics that they are almost a sticking plaster on something that needs major surgery.

Stephen Donnelly TD wrote: »

I don't know the exact numbers involved in the campaign, but I'd say about 150 volunteers, and I'd guess that over 50% were female. I know several women who'd be interested in running for parliament. I spoke with several during the campaign who would be awesome TDs - Lack of access to fundes was the biggest reason they didn't run - but I'm hoping to be part of something to encourage more in the next election.

Interesting. How many members of your core team are women? Do you think that you personally can do somethings to address the issues of lack of women who get involved? Why do think that women will get involved in the actual campaigns but not necessarily run themselves? What about women who might be really really good but might have confidence issues? How would you see the lack of access to funds being addressed - aside from the Emilys fund idea. As an aside do you agree with the fact that every candidate who gets a certain percentage of votes in an election gets a refund of upto €8500. Also just another question about funds springs to mind -do you think it's fair that in general only the well off like yourself can get elected? By the way you didn't really answer my question about gender quotas for parties completely overlooks independents

I'd like to just pick on your answer to wolfe tones question

Wolfe Tone wrote:

Hiya Stephen,


What is your opinion on the level of wages TDs receive? Do you believe you should be paid more, or less, and if less why don't you set an example and take that amount?

Stephen Donnelly TD wrote:

Hi Wolfe Tone,

Good, tricky question. Yes, I think TDs are probably paid too much in the current climate. But - if we want people to come into politics with years of experience, we have to accept that that costs money, and that most people could not take, say, a 50% pay cut due to existing liabilities (e.g., mortgage). So, we need to find a balance. There have been some big changes just brought in - the biggest is the pension, which now does not kick in when you leave the job. The lowers the total value of the wage packet enormously (which I agree with). Also, there's not going to be any 'severance' payment I think. This might sound reasonable, but it does mean that you can find yourself in a day with no income and no starts on getting a new job.

I'm not taking a voluntary cut as I've already taken a cut from my previous job. I do believe that the wage will fall again mind you, and am more than happy for the wage to be benchmarked against private sector equivalents and other parliamentarians. In fact, I think this needs to happen urgently across the entire public and semi-state sectors.

Stephen.

Ok but what about expenses? As a whole when you consider the expenses that you get has your overall income gone down? - Why should you be entitled to unvouched expenses for representation? (I can see that you take vouched though Shouldn't all expenses be vouched? Do you think that the level of expenses paid to Oireachtas members is too much? What about transparency of expenses? My understanding is that Travel and Accomodation expenses are not vouched (I may be wrong). Do you think they should be?

Also you seem to take a view that politics needs people with "experience"? what do you mean by this? out of interest? and I'm also interested in why you think in general people deserve high salaries - Have you any thoughts on for example whether we should have greater equality of income


Sorry I know that is a lot of questions to ask you but we were given the opportunity and again thanks for answering so far.

DJCR

DJCR wrote: »

Just a quick Hypothetical question for you (on a personal basis):-

If you had the choice between Paying off the IMF/EU deal now and having 2 - 3 years of extreem poverty in your life followed by a booming economy and what is happening now now i.e. putting yourself into so much debt that your life will be in doldrums (stagnated) for the next 20 years.

Which would you pick? (Remember, your only responsible for yourself on this one, no one else will be affected)

Stephen Donnelly TD wrote: »

Hi DJCR - I think I'd pick the 2 to 3 years of poverty.

Stephen.

Thank you for answering our questions here today your answers have been very incitdful..... its great to have contact with a TD such as yourself.

I've another one for you...

Same question, but this time your decision is going to affect the lives of all your constituents, friends, family etc Would you bring everyone else down with you so to speak?

Evil Phil

Hey Steve,

Myself and my wife emigrated 2 years ago and are both currently working for a fortune 500 company in the education field. Things have gone very well for both of us since we've left, and I am now senior management.

We'd like to come home.

I'd like use my skill-set to start a company and create jobs. I specifically want to do this in Ireland to help the recovery. What opportunities or support do you think the current Dail should put in place for people like myself, part of the diaspora, to allow this to happen?

Phil

Black Swan

Hi Stephen,
It's grand that you can take time to reply to our questions on this forum.

Question:
What is your position regarding the American use of Shannon as a US Military refueling/staging point for their Afghanistan and Iraq wars? Does this threaten Irish neutrality?

sollar

Hi Stephen,

Where do you stand on the Croke Park Agreement? Do you think it should be given a chance or ripped up.

dan719

Hi Stephen and to reiterate congratulations on your election.

Although the Dail has only just been elected, I'm curious on what you think your chances of reelection are?

The last GE was an anomaly in Irish political history, not only with regard to the near destruction of the traditional party of government, but for the shift away from parish pump politics in some constituencies. TDs were elected having explicitly stated they would not be interested in the fixing of pot holes or the usual wheeler dealing our TDs are expected to engage in, and/or on a platform of political reform. Of course the likes of Lowry and Healy Rae junior show that the zeitgeist does not move at the same pace everywhere, but the point remains.

Do you expect this shift towards a national focus to continue? Or will an upturn in the economy lead to a return to the bad old days where national representitives were elected for local issues?

goz83

Hi Stephen,

How can Gender Quotas be justified?

I believe it would be a backwards step to introduce gender quotas. When you consider the percentage of men to the percentage of women running in politics, it seems grossly unfair that some men would lose out on their opportunity to sit in government, for the sake of a gender quota being met. It would be a case of, "Well John, I know you got 5 thousand votes and Sandra Sandra only got 5 hundred, but she is a woman and the quota needs to be met, despite what the electorate voted for".

How about gender quotas for family court custody battles? 50% of fathers with no rights, will be given custody of their children over the woman.

Quotas are tokens!! They are an insult to women in my opinion and this was mentioned by a female audience member on The Front Line when they discussed the issue. I am all for more women in politics, but a quota is not the answer. Not when someone else is seen to be more qualified and receives more votes for the job. This would make a mockery of our already laughable democracy. Make changes to help/encourage more women to run in elections, but don't brand them as charity cases in this way. Your thoughts would be appreciated.

deise go deo

Hi Stephen, My main area of interest is in education, so I would like to ask you a few questions relating to that.

- It seems our new minister for Education, Mr Ruairi Quinn is determined to reduce the level of church involvement in our education system, what is your opinion on the secularization of our school system, how far do you think it should go and do you agree in general with how it is being done?

- What is your opinion of the state subsidizing the cost of Private education?

- Do you think the reduction in allocation to special needs students is fair, and if not, how would you change the current situation?

- With regard to the Irish language in our education system, What changes do you believe should be made to achieve a better outcome and better value for money.

- Do you think more should be done to spread the growth of the Gaelscoil movement?

- As far as I am aware, the length of the Primary school day is shorter here than in most other European countries. Do you think lengthening the primary school day should be something that is looked at as part of educational reform?

- How do you think the issue of funding our third level institutions should be resolved? Do you think fees will need to be introduced? And if you feel they should not, how else do you feel the issue of funding for third level should be resolved?



There is one other question not relating to education I would also like to put to you.

- Having gotten acquainted with the realities of being an independent TD, what do you now feel you can achieve that would not have been possible for you had you not been elected?



I know there is a lot to get through there so feel free to take tour time in replying.

Stephen Donnelly TD

Agent Smith wrote: »

Hello Deputy,

Congratulations on your election.

2 questions.

Of all the represented Parties in the Dail, (FG LAB, FF, SF, ULA, SP) Who would Identify yourself more with. as in, If you had to join a party, which would be the party that you would be most comfortable with.

Second question.
What would you say is the nicest party of being a TD? Opposed to the feeling of warmth that you get from helping to your constituents :pac:

Hi Agent Smith,

I would identify with bits from most of the parties, and none of them in totality. I also have great respect for people in all of the parties. It would seem that FF & FG are pretty similar from a policy perspective but do have some cultural differences. I think a lot of the social vision/goals/work that the parties on the left do/aim for is very worthy, though I would probably disagree with some of their proposed ways of getting their. I'm not sure what the deal is with Labour at the moment, or whether they are really a centre-left party any more. Essentially, FG and Lab are currently implementing FF policy. They have some good new ideas, no question, though I'm not seeing much of an ideological gap between any of them.

The best part about being a TD? Tough to pick one thing, it's been awesome so far in a number of ways - I didn't know if I'd enjoy the job to be honest, but so far so good. The opportunity and (at least some) ability to spend your time and energy working towards getting us out of this mess and building a better Ireland is a pretty extraordinary thing. It's humbling and exciting and sometimes overwhelming. I'd say that's it.

Thanks,

Stephen.

Stephen Donnelly TD

Hi paudy1 - I most certainly have not forgotten - it has taken time to get up and running, and we are now actively planning local engagement, including town halls. I'm really looking forward to it - trying to think what people would be interested in coming out to - say some guest speakers, or several TDs, or both - all ideas welcome.

Stephen Donnelly TD

stewie01 wrote: »

hello

because there seems to be a thread of some sort on cannabis use on boards.ie daily, what is your stance on the legalisation of cannabis for a) medicinal use and b) recreational use in ireland.

thanks if you answer.

Hi stewie01,

I believe that the laws which restrict personal freedoms are valid if exercising those freedoms has a negative impact on others (e.g., assault, speeding, slander, robbery, etc.). For minors, I would extend that principle to freedoms which can have a negative impact on oneself. I don't believe laws should generally be used to enforce values - there may be legitimate exceptions to this, and there are certainly many abuses of this in our own past and around the world. Possession of cannabis for adults does not seem to adhere to this principle. My very limited understanding of the research is that it can be very dangerous for the mental health/development of minors, but that in moderation for adults it does not cause harm to others. However, that's in principle. I do believe that if Ireland unilaterally decriminalised or legalised cannabis for general use that it could cause various social problems due mainly to its criminalisation in other countries. We've seen that the Dutch have significantly curtailed the legal use of cannabis for this very reason. To balance that, I think the Gardai have better things to be doing than arresting people for possession of minor quantities, and I think they'd probably agree. A decriminalisation trial was done in Brixton a few years back, with some positive and some negative results. I think (but could be wrong) that they ultimately scrapped the pilot. The English also downgraded it to class C, so the same as steroids, under Labour. Again, that may have been reversed recently, not sure.

Stephen.

Het-Field

Stephen,

Congratulations on your election !

My question is whether you are au fait with the economic perspectives of Milton Friedman, Friedrich Von Hayek, and Ludwig Von Mises ? If you answer in the affirmative, I would be interested to know whether you believe that there is any place for such a perspective, or strands of the same perspective in Ireland at this time ????

Thanks a million.

Kindest Regards
Het-field

Stephen Donnelly TD

JonathanAnon wrote: »

Hi Stephen,

So what happens the day after we default? At the moment from what I'm aware, Patrick Honohan signs off bi-weekly (saying that we have been good boys) and a big bag of money comes from the East... You say that

...
but nobody has explained where the money comes on week 1 of the default, to pay public servants.. So my question would be, if we default on the bondholders and Europe cuts the money coming to us, how is it possible to avoid Public Sector strikes (given that they wont be paid)?

Thanks Jonathan,

The Atari is beautiful by the way. The issue of not paying bondholders and defaults versus not being able to pay public servants is not binary. That is, pressing smartly for substantive changes to deals does not negate the deal - you negotiate. It's important as well to differentiate between the bondholders and the sovereign debt - Paying back bondholders is not a stipulation of the IMF deal - as such, not doing so would not affect the money we're borrrowing. What we're told is that if we don't pay the bondholders, then the ECB will raise the cost of the cheap money it currently provides to the banks. My answer would be to close most of the banks, capitalise the rest with the remaining (rapidly dwindling deposits) and let these surviving banks borrow on the markets again (which they would be reasonably well placed to do). On the IMF deal - again, simply don't use the €35bn from the deal to capitalise the banks. That IS in the deal, but could be negotiated. From what I can see, the IMF don't believe this is a good deal for Ireland, and can see where it is going. Unfortunately, it would appear that the Germans and the French are intent on hurting us quite badly for a number of reasons. So - don't pay the bondholders, let several of the banks fail, meet most of the conditions of the IMF deal (e.g., around restructuring), and the money should keep coming for the public servants.

Stephen.

Stephen Donnelly TD

Wolfe Tone wrote: »

Cheers for answering...


Just to make sure I have this right, you think you should be paid less, yet you won't take a cut unless you are forced to?

As someone "at the top" why don't you be proactive and lead by example?

This attitude annoys me, you think something should be changed, you think that this change is the morally correct thing to do in the current climate, yet you won't do it? What better way to highlight this issue than to take a voluntary cut?


As for the fact you "already took a cut" thats irrelevant, I and other taxpayers pay your wages now, and Ireland inc is bankrupt.

While not a FG man myself (anything but!) I have to admit I admire Brendan Griffin because he has taken a stand and not engaged in the hypocrisy of saying wages should be cut and not taking a voluntary reduction to back up his words.


http://www.rte.ie/news/2011/0324/politics.html

I think he did the morally correct thing, do you? Its easy to just say something. I think the Irish people are fed up with just words. (this one is anyway)

On a separate note, your views on college fees? As a student myself this is an issue I feel strongly about and I am faced with the very real possibility of having to drop out if they are reintroduced.

Hi Wolfe Tone,

I can understand your frustration. A few thoughts on the pay issue. Frist, the fact that I have already taken a cut may not, as you say, be relevant for you, but I hope you understand that it is relevant for me - I have a family who's welfare depends on my income, and any cut to that income directly affects them. Second, there has just been a substantial cut to the value of TD's renumeration packages. Third, I would support further cuts in the context of public sector benchmarking, and in the context of having just had an income drop by moving, and a second in the first week of the new job, and having a family who depend on my income, it feels reasonable to me to support further cuts for all, whilst not taking them right now before any agreement or analysis/benchmarking. You may still think this is unreasonable, but it's where I stand.

On student fees - I would suggest two unfortunate realities. First, we have a completely average education/third level system which is not fit for purpose. Second, really high quality third level education costs money. So I think students have a choice - they can pay relatively little for an average education, or they can pay more for a really good education. I would be happy to let student bodies vote on the option for themselves. Any increase in fees would need to go directly to improving teaching standards, would have to be accompanied with serious reform of third level institutions, and should be supported by the rest of the community (read Government) through very low interest loans which only kick in when the student has graduated and is earning above a certain amount. I've experienced poorly funded and well funded education, and it I had to vote for myself, I'd vote for higher fees with sweeping reform to deliver a fantastic education.

Stephen.

Stephen Donnelly TD

Johnnymcg wrote: »

Ok fair points but again you seem to be bringing this back to the economy - what about the social issues that I mentioned in themselves as issues completely separate from the economy? - also there are lots of people that didn't benefit from the celtic tiger 'vibrant economy' - does the economic mantra that a "rising tide lifts all boats" really ring true? My point is that social problems exist independently of the economy and these issues rarely if ever get discussed or addressed.

I really don't think that gender quotas are the only thing that work - I'd kind of like to know what your evidence of this is? Do you not think that gender quotas in themselves can tend to overlook the many issues and reasons that women don't want to get involved in politics that they are almost a sticking plaster on something that needs major surgery.


Interesting. How many members of your core team are women? Do you think that you personally can do somethings to address the issues of lack of women who get involved? Why do think that women will get involved in the actual campaigns but not necessarily run themselves? What about women who might be really really good but might have confidence issues? How would you see the lack of access to funds being addressed - aside from the Emilys fund idea. As an aside do you agree with the fact that every candidate who gets a certain percentage of votes in an election gets a refund of upto €8500. Also just another question about funds springs to mind -do you think it's fair that in general only the well off like yourself can get elected? By the way you didn't really answer my question about gender quotas for parties completely overlooks independents

I'd like to just pick on your answer to wolfe tones question

Ok but what about expenses? As a whole when you consider the expenses that you get has your overall income gone down? - Why should you be entitled to unvouched expenses for representation? (I can see that you take vouched though Shouldn't all expenses be vouched? Do you think that the level of expenses paid to Oireachtas members is too much? What about transparency of expenses? My understanding is that Travel and Accomodation expenses are not vouched (I may be wrong). Do you think they should be?

Also you seem to take a view that politics needs people with "experience"? what do you mean by this? out of interest? and I'm also interested in why you think in general people deserve high salaries - Have you any thoughts on for example whether we should have greater equality of income

Hi Johnny,

Thanks for the detailed responses - let me do my best to answer, and I hope you're okay with me cutting out bits of your questions, just for brevity.

I completely agree that social problems exist independent of the economic situation, and that tackling these should always be a priority and should be front and centre on any public and political agenda.

On quotas, I agree that they're not the only thing that can help, but the research does suggest that they are a necessary condition to move the system to a genuinely new equilibrium. One theory of change (I'm dipping back into McKinsey here) also tells us that one of the four conditions necessary for sustainable behavioural change is the presence of role models. Evidence suggests that this factor is as important as the other three combined. With so few women in senior roles, it is virtually impossible then to get significant change that doesn't take decades. This would also help address your confidence point - I don't think it's an underlying lack of confidence issue by the way - the issues I'm hearing include the adversarial nature of politics, the lifestyle, the lower access to funds, the lack of role models and the blocking of female candidates by parties.

I agree with your sticking plaster analogy to a point, but shifting the system to the new equilibrium, via quotas and the other policy interventions listed, will actually address a lot of the underlying problems (that is, they will quickly get sorted by the new group, whilst they wouldn't with the old group).

My core team is one person, her name is Sal, and you'll be glad to know, she's a woman :-)

Yes, I think the €8,500 should be refunded - it impacts some of the huge barriers to new people and less wealthy people running.

I'm sorry, I didn't see your question re gender quotas and independents - the main barrier for female independent candidates seems to be money, based on the potential candidates I spoke with - hence I think an Emily's Fund would be a great idea.

I think all expenses should be vouched, I can't understand why they are not.

I think politics does need people with experience - that experience can take many forms. It could be as a community leader (e.g., Obama), an activist, an academic, a business person, etc. I believe we need amuch broader range of experience that we currently have in the Dáil. It is a peculiaritiy of the Irish political system that we regularly elect people who have very little to bring into our national parliament. The obvious example is the sons and daughters of TDs who get elected in their early twenties. I was at a conference in DC recently, and it was commented on by a German gentleman that I was extremely young to be a member of parliament!

Thanks,

Stephen.