I am very concerned about the west vanishing and I believe we should examine tolerance to ensure a reasonable balance. It also applies to the east coast and even in heavily populated areas. Very small differences can mean small groups of people being taken out and fired to somewhere with which they are not familiar. This can be examined. The suggestion that An Post might compile the register is interesting, but I am not sure how practical that would be. We have had a great deal of difficulty in getting the register right. I agree entirely with the suggestion that we find a way to help people with a permanent or long-term condition; it should be possible to do that.
I agree with much of what my colleague, Deputy Durkan, said. The system in Ireland is very democratic and competitive. As I have said before — members will be tired of hearing me say it — the system is tough, and keeps us working on the ground. It keeps us in touch with the people. I am not a football star or a TV star — a lot of people like that could move in if we had a select system. The great thing about our system is that it brings out people from the community, who are familiar with that community. Deputy Durkan is right in that sense. We will consider how we can improve that situation and go a little further.
On the point about the Executive taking over and the role of Parliament being diminished, I felt that things were going fairly well, as the committees were being strengthened. However, in the current situation, people are drawing back resources and funds from the parliamentary committees and TDs, and democratically that is wrong. We have to meet the requirements of the current situation, but people are inclined to forget that those people are their elected representatives.
We can see that the committees are doing excellent work at present, although that could, and will, be improved. There is much better participation in committees. The Executive must consider the issues that have been raised. However, we must make the point strongly, as Deputy Durkan did, that a reduction in the membership of the Dáil or the Seanad would involve breaking away from a system in which we listen to people on the ground.
If someone is running a big business or factory and does not walk the factory floor, they will get into trouble. That is a basic rule of management. If we do not keep in touch with the people, we will be in trouble.
We hear that people have said certain things in various surveys, but I find that there is a different attitude on the ground. I and other Deputies talk to people who are in a certain situation and who make decisions accordingly. Surveys can indicate trends, but there is great democratic strength in our system. I would be reluctant to move too far away from that.
With regard to Senator O'Malley's proposal, we are certainly anxious to find ways to encourage a situation in which women can and will participate. As members will be aware, quite a few women have come and gone for one reason or another. They may have done a term and said that is enough for them. That could be due to clientelism or other things.
There is no doubt that the job is tough, and it is hard to marry it to other things — it is certainly not family friendly. We are looking hard at that, and it is important that we do anything that is reasonable. Other members have mentioned the potential dangers in Senator O'Malley's proposal.
The issue of clientelism has been raised, but I am not sure I know what that is. If I meet an elderly person who has a problem he or she cannot solve, and if that person has been to hospitals, seen other people, written to the Department and the Minister and still nothing is done, I do not let go. That is the person who matters. Every individual person matters. That is what we are here for, although it may mean that I have to work longer hours because I have to cover the other side of the job and try to keep up to date with everything.
That has changed a lot over the years. The more effective public service becomes, the less of that type of work there will be. That change can be seen in a lot of areas. I was involved in the area of social welfare, and we did significant work to try to get away from that as far as possible.
The same change occurred in other areas such as Revenue which became much more customer oriented. As that happens, we move away from the previous elements, and we are left to deal with the problems that nobody will solve. I can tell the committee that there are plenty of those.
Senator O'Malley mentioned that membership of the Dáil could be reduced to 120. The Dáil is beginning to get to grips with the committees. If we reduce the number of Ministers under the Constitution, that means 15 will go to start with. If we reduce the number of junior Ministers — at least one in each Department or thereabouts — that is another 30 gone. If we take away other people such as the committee chairmen and the Ceann Comhairle, we will not be left with enough people to service the committees that are necessary if we want to be effective on a European and international scale as well as an Irish scale.
Whatever we do with regard to small reductions, there is no scope for big reductions. It is good to see the way in which committees are now functioning. They are really getting into things. Senator O'Malley's proposal is stimulating — as she said herself — and it keeps the issue very much in front of us.