OPPOSITION REACTION:FIANNA FÁIL proposals for political reform have been dismissed as "jobs for the boys" by Fine Gael environment spokesman Phil Hogan.
Mr Hogan was among several Fine Gael TDs to criticise the Fianna Fáil manifesto and said that if ministers of state were replaced by substitute TDs, as in the case of senior ministers, 30 extra political posts would be created.
Given that they would have a salary, expenses, allowances and staff, the savings achieved by abolishing the Seanad would be halved, he added.
“Is it possible that Micheál Martin wants to allow Fianna Fáil Senators, who will lose their jobs if the Seanad is abolished, to apply for the new jobs?” Mr Hogan said.
Fine Gael justice spokesman Alan Shatter said it was astonishing that the manifesto made no reference to punishing rogue bankers, and dealing with crime generally.
“Micheál Martin went into this campaign sanctimoniously demanding substance and detail, yet he has either completely forgotten, or does not care, about the 48 per cent increase in robberies where someone was held up by a criminal,” he said.
Fine Gael spokesman on health Dr James Reilly said he noted with “amazement and disappointment” that Fianna Fáil’s manifesto showed zero evidence of a health policy.
“After Micheál Martin was an abject failure in the health ministry, Fianna Fáil decided to hand health over lock, stock and barrel to Mary Harney,” he added. “Their utter lack of interest in it explains the paucity of any detail on health in today’s manifesto.”
Labour spokesman on constitutional matters and law reform Brendan Howlin said the idea of Fianna Fáil as a party of political reform was a joke.
“Fianna Fáil has a track record of resisting every major political reform ever proposed,” he added. “The most urgently needed political reform that the voters want to see is to get Fianna Fáil out of power.”
Mr Howlin added that the proposals in the manifesto dealing with political reform were “an amalgam of ideas lifted from Labour documents, some unworkable proposals and some plans that are simply bizarre”.
The proposal that Ministers should not be members of the Oireachtas and should be allowed to nominate a substitute to represent them in the Dáil was simply a recipe to allow Fianna Fáil provide an additional 15 political appointments.
Voters, he said, should also be very wary of plans by Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael to undermine the system of proportional representation. The people had twice voted to reject Fianna Fáil’s proposals to gerrymander the electoral system.
“The suggestion by Fianna Fáil of a move to single-seat constituencies will make our electoral system less proportional, making it more difficult for Independents and smaller parties to make it into the Dáil,” Mr Howlin added.
Sinn Féin deputy leader Mary Lou McDonald said Fianna Fáil was in no position to talk about political reform.
“Micheál Martin’s attempt to rebrand Fianna Fáil as some sort of reformed progressive party is cutting no ice with the electorate,” she added.
