Fianna Fáil leader Micheál Martin has made the first significant move by a party since the general election with a strong pitch calling for major political reform to be agreed before the new Dáil convenes.
In a statement issued on Monday, reflecting Fianna Fáil much strengthened position in the Dáil with 43 deputies elected so far, Mr Martin argued there must be changes in "the way that politics is done in our country".
The statement set out an argument for immediate reform to be agreed by the parliament itself rather than whatever government is formed after March 10th.
Fianna Fáil will not be the largest party when the Dáil returns but has more than doubled its number of TDs.
Mr Martin outlined major elements of his own reform proposals - including imposing limits on the ability of government to control all business; to end the practice of guillotines; earlier reviews of legislation; the setting up of an independent budget review office, and a new office of a Legal Advisor to the Oireachtas.
Party spokespeople were at pains to emphasise on Monday that this should not be taken as a form of pre-condition ahead of any negotiations between parties and individuals on forming a government that will take place between now and March 10th.
Rejection
Rather, the party emphasised that the initiative is a recognition of the rejection by the electorate of “politics as usual”
“Fianna Fáil has heard the electorate and its demand for fundamental change. We are responding to that demand in a constructive and positive way,” Mr Martin said.
He said Fianna Fáil had repeatedly argued that politics needed to change and that “the failure to implement any meaningful political reform remains one of the biggest broken promises of the outgoing government”.
“More seriously than this is the fact that a failure to implement real reform carries with it a risk that we will continue to repeat the mistakes of the past,” he added.
Mr Martin referred to the “substantial mandate” his party received in the election and said its first priority should be political reform.
Calling for all parliamentarians to come together on this issue, he said: “We believe the opportunity to implement meaningful reform of the working of Dáil Éireann should be taken up now and cross-Dáil agreement on reforms reached before discussions on the make-up of the next government advance.”
Mr Martin said that once Dáil groupings were finalised in the coming fortnight, nominations to a negotiating committee should be made by each Dáil group.
He said they should be given a fortnight to agree core principles and asked to agree in-principle changes which would be adopted by Dáil Éireann when it reconvenes on March 10th.
