Fianna Fáil criticises calls for cap on TDs’ tenure in the Dáil
It comes after junior minister Sean Canney told the Irish Examiner that he believes TDs do not have a “divine right” to a seat in Leinster House and should be capped at spending two terms or 10 years in the Dáil.
Reacting to the comments Fianna Fáil chief whip, Michael Moynihan said Mr Canney had ignored the real changes needed to make politics work better.
“Minister Canney’s call for the introduction of term limits for TDs is simplistic and ignores the real structural changes that are required to make Irish democracy more open, transparent and accountable,” Mr Moynihan said.
“There is a genuine appetite across the political spectrum and across society for real reform of how we do business in the Oireachtas, and politics in general.
“An arbitrary limit on how long a man or woman can remain a TD, ignoring the wish of the electorate, is not political reform. It is populist sloganeering that ignores the issues and could end up being counterproductive,” he said.
His comments were echoed by Fine Gael which believes “greater openness, improved accountability and delivery, and more effective public participation” is needed.
A Fine Gael spokesperson said: “TDs do not have a divine right to a seat in Leinster House. They are put there by the electorate and can be voted out by the electorate.
“We believe the new political landscape in Ireland presents a historic opportunity to radically reform Irish politics and we are proposing substantive political and constitutional reform in order to create a strong and responsive political system,” the spokesperson said.
