The parliamentary whip system is too rigid and should be relaxed, Minister for Foreign Affairs Charlie Flanagan has said.
Mr Flanagan suggested TDs should not be expected to follow the party line on a range of issues, and not only on matters of conscience.
“I do believe that the strict application of a three-line whip often-times is unduly restrictive towards parliamentary debate, parliamentary activity,” he said.
“I do believe that there’s scope in certain circumstances to relax what has become a rigid parliamentary device.”
Asked if he was calling for free votes on conscience issues, Mr Flanagan suggested he would be inclined to go further.
“I think there are a range of issues. I’m not really sure that I would restrict it to certain issues that can be categorised as moral or conscience issues,” he said.
“I believe there may well be regional issues, there may well be other instances...and in particular in the current situation where you have a Government with the largest majority in the history of the State.”
Mr Flanagan said he welcome the discussion, promoted by a survey of Fine Gael TDs .
“I don’t have any hard and fast rules as to the application but I do believe the relaxation in circumstances is welcome,” he added.
He was speaking at the Global Ireland conference conference in Dublin Castle today.
The survey of Fine Gael TDs, carried out as part of research on Dáil reform commissioned by Taoiseach Enda Kenny, found three out of every four deputies favour loosening the whip system.
Mr Kenny asked one of his TDs, Eoghan Murphy (Dublin South East), to examine and investigate areas of possible reform of the Dáil, further to the measures already implemented by the Government.
Mr Murphy found 74 per cent of colleagues “indicated a need to loosen the party whip in some form”. However, the research does not specify under what circumstances the whip should be relaxed.
Former party TD Lucinda Creighton has indicated her new party will adopt a more relaxed approach to the whip system, allowing a free vote on issues of conscience such as abortion. Ms Creighton lost the Fine Gael whip along with other colleagues after voting against the Government on the Protection of Life During Pregnancy Bill.
