THE NUMBER of TDs in the next Dáil could be 20 fewer than the current complement of 166, Minister for the Environment Phil Hogan has said.
At its weekly meeting on Tuesday, the Cabinet approved a proposal brought by Mr Hogan to lower the number to bring it closer to one TD for every 30,000 population, compared to the current average of one to 25,000.
Mr Hogan will change the terms of reference of the Constituency Commission which will be established in June, once the preliminary results of the 2011 census are published.
The terms of reference for the commission have given it powers to decide the number of TDs within a maximum and minimum band decided by Government. For many years, the band has been a narrow one.
The last commission in 2006 had a band between 164 and 168 and decided to retain the status quo at 166 TDs.
Mr Hogan confirmed yesterday that the terms of reference will be altered to allow for a significant reduction in the number of TDs.
However, he would not be drawn on the exact numbers despite repeated questioning. The Fine Gael manifesto provided for a reduction of 20 TDs to 146 but the programme for government did not give an actual figure.
Under Article 16.2.2 of the Constitution there must be no fewer than one TD for every 30,000 of the population and no more than one in 20,000 of the population. Mr Hogan said yesterday he did not wish to alter the constitutional arrangements.
With an average of one TD for every 30,000 of the population, the maximum reduction would be 20 TDs.
He also confirmed the commission will be chaired by a High Court judge and its findings will be binding on the Government.
He said the commission will report to the Government within three months after the final census report is published in 2012. He said the changes would take effect for the next Dáil, the 32nd, which will be formed in 2016, if the Government continues for the full five-year term.
Mr Hogan made announcements in relation to two other areas of reform. He said the Government would be introducing a six-month time limit for holding Dáil byelections, under an Electoral Amendment Bill.
This, he said, was in response to the “farcical” situation that developed in the last Dáil, where the government delayed the holding of three byelections for many months.
The other change will result in an almost 50 per cent reduction in the spending limit by candidates in the presidential election, with the limit falling from €1.3 million to €750,000. It also reduces the amount candidates will be reimbursed if they achieve a certain percentage vote from €260,000 to €200,000.
He said his decision to lower the spending limits for the campaign reflected the reality of the “more frugal times” at present.
Fianna Fáil’s environment spokesman Niall Collins accused Mr Hogan of headline-grabbing gimmicks rather than a commitment to changing the way the Oireachtas does business.
“Simply abolishing the Seanad and reducing the number of TDs will do nothing to reform the way we do politics in this country,” he said.
“Despite the rhetoric, this new Government has shown no evidence of wanting to engage in proper discussion or real reform.”
POLITICAL REFORMS: PLANNED CHANGES
Change the terms of reference of Constituency Commission to provide for significant reduction in TDs;
Reduction in presidential election spending limits from €1.3 million to €750,000;
A new Electoral Amendment Bill to put a six-month limit on holding byelections;
Establishment of a Constitution Convention this year. Will include Seanad in deliberations;
Referendum on abolition of Seanad to be held in second half of 2012;
Legislation to ban corporate donations enacted by summer.
