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A ballot paper from Dublin North West in the 2011 general election Laura Hutton/Photocall Ireland
constitutional convention
Do you want to change the way we elect TDs?
The Constitutional Convention is seeking submissions on possible reforms to the way Irish politicians are elected to Dáil Éireann.
THE CONSTITUTIONAL CONVENTION is seeking submissions from the public on the way in which politicians are elected to Dáil Éireann ahead of its next meeting later this month.
The Convention – which has already considered issues such as as same-sex marriage and reducing the presidential term – will consider whether the Constitution should be amended to change the way politicians are elected to the Dáil.
The next meeting of the Convention takes place on the weekend of 18 and 19 May with another meeting on reforming the Dáil electoral system scheduled for another weekend in June.
Before then the Convention has asked for submissions from interested parties outlining their views on the issue. Anyone can make a submission on the Convention website.
Convention chairman Tom Arnold said: “The electoral system of a given country is one of the most fundamentally important factors of representative democracy.
“In advance of our discussions and ballot on the Dáil electoral system, we are keen to get a broad perspective of public opinion on the current system and alternative proposals that people may have.”
The convention is likely to consider whether Ireand’s current proportional representation system should be maintained or possibly replaced with other systems, for example the Alternative Vote or a Party List system.
The Constitutional Convention was established by the government last year and it has agreed to respond to the Convention’s recommendations within four months.
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