Election of Ceann Comhairle

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Brendan Burgess

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It looks like FF will get the CC's job. The reasons seem a bit perverse to me

"Fine Gael TDs have another good reason to transfer to Mr Ó Fearghaíl – if Ms O’Sullivan is elected it will make it extremely difficult for Paschal Donohue to hold his seat, in what would effectively become a two-seater. And if Labour wants to regain its Dublin Central seat, its TDs may vote against Ms O’Sullivan too."

The system should be changed, so that the constituency is not affected.

The best solution would be to scrap the rule whereby the CC keeps his seat. The outgoing CC should continue until his successor is appointed. If the outgoing CC is no longer a member, the Taoiseach could nominate an interim CC to supervise the election of the new one.

Brendan
 
I never got the whole hullabulloo over the historic secret ballot for CC and how it was a great piece of reform.
Parties will still instruct their TDs to vote in a strategic and selfish manner. And the bigger parties will win out.

Reforrm!
 

I totally agree and should be part of the Dail reform. Maybe not possible that way but if legislation is needed to change it then legislate for it.
 
I hadn't considered that about a reason for transferring to O'Sullivan... if only our TDs could apply the same level of cunning they apply to gaming the system to sorting out the country...
 
I presume it is inherited from the British system where, since it is first past the post, this conundrum does not arise. Seems to me the best solution would be that the CC does not have to go up for re-election (to preserve his independence) but his constituency still votes for its full complement of TDs.

As an aside it really irks me how people like RTE presenters call this voting system PR. It is not PR. It is the election of a single winner by STV just as is the vote for president.
 
O'Fearghaíl got elected, which turns his constituency into a two seater the next time



So it makes it very likely that it will return two FF and one FG. Rules out the Labour or Sinn Féin guys getting a seat unless there is a major upset.

Brendan
 
Is it written into some law or our constitution that the CC has to be a TD? It would seem unfair to the people who voted for the person elected. What if that person had to declare before running in the election that he/she would be seeking the post? I'd imagine a different outcome. A member of the public with an understanding of politics, etc, could be given the job and at considerably less expense I would imagine.
 
15.9.1° Each House of the Oireachtas shall elect from its members its own Chairman and Deputy Chairman, and shall prescribe their powers and duties.


OK, so he or she has to be a TD. Where does it say that they are automatically elected?
 
Brendan Burgess said:
OK, so he or she has to be a TD. Where does it say that they are automatically elected?
Click to expand...

Article 16.6

"6. Provision shall be made by law to enable the member of Dáil Éireann who is the Chairman immediately before a dissolution of Dáil Éireann to be deemed without any actual election to be elected a member of Dáil Éireann at the ensuing general election."

The actual provision is contained in the Electoral Act, 1992 s 36.
 
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Dáil reform? Ban this pretentious use of An Gaeilge

I'll hand that to the looney tunes (SF excepted, who are the worse culprits), they don't indulge in that nonsense.

Another thing, having sat through all of today's proceedings I see a certain disadvantage in televised Dáil proceedings. The election was simply replayed and that was surely only because they thought they had a national audience.

I also noticed that in their faux tributes to the outgoing CC SF tried to make a joke of the difficulties that Mary Lou had with him. Nobody else laughed at the joke. Contempt of the Dáil is not a joke even if you do only regard it as a Free State irrelevance (compared to the true all Ireland authority, the IRA council based in West Belfast).

The CC was good IMHO.
 
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The last CC had lost control in the Dail.I think Sean O fearghail is a more balanced individual and given the transfers he had broad appeal.
 
I thought the last CC was quite good too.

I propose a lottery to select the CC. And also for the position to rotate... on a weekly basis... and on a pedestal...
 
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