Dail Eireann, The National Parliament of the Irish people, is a farce, a joke institution. It’s an institution that I personally hold in absolute contempt and I am convinced that the great majority of Irish people feel the same. It’s nothing more than an ineffective talking shop that has no relevance whatsoever to the every day worries of the average Irish citizen.
Nothing exemplifies the worthlessness of this institution better than an incident that took place there yesterday (RTE News, 5th item). The new Criminal Justice Bill was being debated. This bill will make serious changes in the law concerning mandatory sentencing, bail and most crucially the right to silence.
While opposition TDs were asking questions and making criticisms of the bill Michael McDowell, Minister for Justice and Tanaiste who is the author of this bill and who, at the time, was representing our Prime Minister in our Parliament – was doing a crossword puzzle.
As I said, a contemptuous institution that deserves nothing but derision.
At last McDowell has realised that the Opposition are so totally inept that listening to them is a complete waste of time. By doing the Crossword he was keeping his brain ticking over, something that listening to Jim O’Keefe certainly would not do. Thats why come May the Opposition will remain just that.
“A Contemptible Institution” is what you have written, but the content suggests that your contempt is for the elected members. You are not saying that you despise the democratic system, are you ? If you are, what do you want instead ?
Sounds about right, most politicians are completely out of touch, they lack vision and courage to do the right thing, but that is because we encourage and enable them by electing them.