TDs spend more than half their working time on constituency-based work - Oireachtas Joint Committee on the Constitution - findings of survey of Oireachtas Members

TDs spend on average 53 per cent of their working time on constituency-based work, 38 per cent on legislative work and 9 per cent on ‘other’ activities such as work for voluntary organisations, party-based and media work, according to a new survey by the Oireachtas Joint Committee on the Constitution, chaired by Deputy Seán Ardagh.

A total of 74 TDs responded to the survey which analysed the workload and representative role of the TD and asked members for their evaluations of the current electoral system’s performance, as well as their preferences for electoral system reform.

Deputy Ardagh said: “According to the survey, TDs typically see their role as being primarily constituency representatives and they rate constituency-based activities as more important than legislative activities. For every hour the average TD spends on legislative work, an hour and twenty five minutes is spent on constituency-based work.”

The largest single category of constituency-based work was ‘working on individual constituents’ cases’, which accounts for nearly 40 per cent of constituency-based work and just over a fifth of the average TD’s overall workload.

Lobbying on behalf of one’s constituency and visiting the constituency/delivering leaflets on one’s work both accounted for approximately 25 per cent of constituency work, while tabling parliamentary questions on behalf of constituents accounted for the remaining 10 per cent.

In terms of TDs’ legislative work, committee work accounted for 26 per cent, researching legislation and preparing amendments accounted for 22 per cent, as did speaking/participating in Dáil debates, 16 per cent of time was spent participating in parliamentary party meetings, while tabling questions on legislative issues accounted for the remaining 13 per cent.

Female TDs appear to engage in slightly higher levels of constituency work than males.

Overall, members favour retaining the current system by a margin of 57 per cent to 43 per cent in favour of changing it. This marks an increase in support for changing the electoral system compared to a 1999 survey of members, which indicated that 27 per cent of members favoured change against 73 per cent in favour of retaining PR-STV.

The survey unearthed a wide range of opinions across members, with the largest portion proclaiming themselves either ‘extremely satisfied (30 per cent) or ‘fairly satisfied’ (35 per cent) with the current system, but with several members expressing dissatisfaction (25 per cent).

Members evaluated the current system over a range of criteria. They indicated that it was performing most strongly in creating a link between voters and their representatives. Members were somewhat ambivalent overall with regard to the extent to which the current system allowed TDs to be effective legislators and hold the government to account.

Were the system to be replaced, the most preferred system mentioned by members is a ‘mixed system’ which would combine single-member districts with a list vote. The second most preferred system is the ‘Alternative Vote’ which maintains the current system of vote transfers but operates in single seat constituencies.

Deputy Ardagh said: “The Committee on the Constitution is carrying out an in-depth examination of the functioning of the current electoral system as well as an evaluation of potential alternatives. Does our current electoral system of proportional representation by means of a single transferable vote in multi-seat constituencies (PR-STV) result in an inclusive, effective and fully representative parliament? Does it elect a Dáil whose members are overly preoccupied with local issues to the exclusion of developing policy expertise?

“By surveying members’ views on the current electoral system and alternatives for reform, the Committee intends to bring the voice of public representatives into the debate in a systemised manner, rather than having representatives who have a particularly strong opinion one way or another dominating the agenda. The findings of this survey should help to inform the current debate on electoral reform and contribute to the Committee’s conclusions and recommendations in the final report which will be presented to the Houses of the Oireachtas and the Government.”

For further information, contact:

Ciaran Brennan,
Houses of the Oireachtas,
Communications Unit,
Leinster House,
Dublin 2

P: +3531 618 3903
M: 086-0496518
F: +3531 618 4551
E: ciaran.brennan@oireachtas.ie