Government political reform measures, including a decision to elect the next

ceann comhairle by secret ballot, have been criticised by the Opposition for not going far enough.

A former clerk of the Dáil has also cast doubt on the plans, questioning if changes to how the ceann comhairle is elected could go ahead without a referendum.

At this week’s Cabinet meeting Ministers decided on a number of immediate reforms that will come into effect when the new Dáil meets after the forthcoming general election.

Other measures include the proportionate allocation of Oireachtas committee chairs under the d’Hondt system and regular appearances by the Taoiseach before the working group of committee chairs.

Announcing the move, Taoiseach Enda Kenny said the three measures taken together represented a significant shift in power from the Government to the Oireachtas.

Standing orders

“TDs will for the first time since the foundation of the State elect the office of ceann comhairle, the chairperson of the Dáil, by secret ballot,” he said.

“The office will now be more independent of the Government of the day . . . ”

The recently retired clerk of the Dáil, Kieran Coughlan, questioned whether the Government could provide for a secret ballot on the election of the ceann comhairle simply by changing Dáil standing orders rather than by a referendum as recommended by the Constitutional Convention.

Framers

“While it may be legally permissible to change the election of a ceann comhairle to a secret ballot by merely changing standing orders, as advised by the Attorney General, it is difficult to envisage the framers of the Constitution allowing for a secret ballot and a more interesting question arises as to whether having a secret ballot would stop at the election of the ceann comhairle,” Mr Coughlan said in a letter to

The Irish Times

.

Sinn Féin’s Aengus Ó Snodaigh said while the reforms announced were welcome, they did not go far enough and only amounted to a scrambling for position by the Government ahead of the election.

“We welcome the proposal to elect the ceann comhairle by secret ballot, the allocation of committee chairs by the d’Hondt system and the establishment of a working group of committee chairs that the Taoiseach would appear before on a regular basis,” he said.