Texts and emails, Tuesday 2 February 2010

Topic: Electoral reform

Panellists: Minister of Transport Noel Dempsey, Elaine Byrne (Irish Times), Naoise Nunn (founder of Leviathan political cabaret), Sara Burke (journalists), Pat Rabbitte (Labour Party)

Layers and layers of corruption have Ireland in a bigger mess than most. We were caught with our pants down when banks started going bust in America. What system can be put in place 2 pull them back up again and give our people some dignity again!

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Noel Dempsey makes very good points about the system not being for entertainment but he misses the point on the meaning of 'entertainment'. It’s not about good viewing – it’s about seeing elected representatives actually displaying a real personal view and debating with their own party on legislation. If everyone thinks exactly the same on any topic then most of them probably aren't thinking....

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Was Dempsey born arrogant or is it a prerequisite of being in f fail. They are so out of touch and should be got out post haste.
Dee, Dublin

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Quick question. For the politicians. Who elected you?? Yes! THE PEOPLE. So would you mind representing US rather than the bankers. Thank you.

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WE NEED A NEW CONSTITUTION. ABOLISH PRESIDENCY, SENATE, LESS TDS. TIME TO ROOT OUT THE PRESENT POLITICAL SYSTEM.
JOHN

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I have been emailing all 166 Dail Deputies on daily issues. I get 1 to 2 replies on each issue from mostly Deputies in opposition. I do this so as to let them know that I care about this country and I want them to take action on the issues I raise. I live in hope, although today I had a Fine Gael deputy asking me not to email him anymore as I am not in his area!
Alan Boyce

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Sara Burke should go up for election next time. It’s people like her we need.
Terry O'Brien, Co. Clare

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As a young man out of work, with joint custody of my daughter, and living on 196 euro, I find the arrogance and laughing nature of Noel Dempsey sickening . . Whip systems stink of the governments arrogance of treating people that worked hard since they left school like Neantherthals . . with his government car waiting for him outside your Ballymount studio to whisk him off to his fancy home , MAKES ME SICK
JOHN, Meath

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We live in a quasi dictatorship. and a corrupt one. bernie devlin was right: democracy is not putting a mark on a paper every few years. we have no say.
Peter Curran, Kildare

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Nobody voted the green party into government but now a minority party are imposing their ideals onto the country. That’s what’s wrong with the dail. there should be no coalition governments.

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How exactly does Noel think a list system and single party constituencies are going to solve the problem he perceives with parochial politics? It's a non sequitor-he's trying to distract from the real problem of over-centralised power but diminished responsibility of ministers. Another non sequitar is this idea that getting rid of the whip system would mean nothing would get done.
Sarah, Cork

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What an epiphany from Minister Dempsey, amazing how the thought of losing the next election can lead to reform from F F. We have reached a situation of legislative gridlock .Too many inputs from too many Quangos ,no responsibility , no results,nothing happens!
Morgan McCabe, Newbridge

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Reduce salaries of TDs to 60k and jail for those who are found working in any form of conflict of interest. This would reform the Dail overnight.
Chris, Cork

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I think all tds in the dail are hypocrites. They take our hard earned money 2pay themselves over rated salaries, take xtra when on committees, then tax d vulnerable when country is broke
john rohan

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The government is failing because they have no idea of community & need real community people to show then how to manage money.
A real community activist

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Sara Burke is peddling her usual pious claptrap, searching for a socialist idyll that does not exist, she needs to get real.
Mark

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Perhaps Noel Dempsey could begin political reform right there on your show by stating in public how wrong it was for Roddy Molloy to receive his massive pay off and what he intends to do about it and we are STILL waiting for simple reforms like expenses to be vouched. I fully agree with Sara Burke
Jim, Tralee

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One of the major problems with our political system is the government is not accountable to the dail and cannot be pulled up over any of its failures. Thus the sense of responsibility goes out the window and all the mistakes become someone else's problem. Take for example the recent problems caused by the bad weather on our paths and roads. Ministers Dempsey and Gormley both blamed the local councils and the local councils blamed the Ministers. Now contrast this with the United States after the failed airline bomb plot. President Obama said it was his fault the 'book stops with him!'
Alan, D5

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There will always be corruption in Ireland as long as we have a fianna fail party in this country.
john galvin

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The Dail is a ''Democratic'' institution run in Dictatorship manner. All the sheep on the government benches will traipse through the door that the Whip instructs them, whether they believe its right or wrong!
Nick

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