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FORMER MINISTER Michael Lowry has the poorest attendance record for Dáil votes of anyone outside the Cabinet, TheJournal.ie can reveal.
Analysis of the attendance records for TDs during Dáil votes, as listed on the Oireachtas website, reveals that only Taoiseach Enda Kenny – who is often abroad or elsewhere attending to government business – has attended fewer Dáil voting sessions so far in 2012.
Lowry has been present for a mere 17 voting sessions so far this year, out of a total of 79 discussions in which votes have been called – some of which may have included multiple votes held in quick succession. Other TDs have been present for over four times as many.
Outside of cabinet ministers, the TD with the next-worst attendance record for votes is People Before Profit’s Richard Boyd Barrett, who has been present for 27 voting sessions.
His United Left Alliance colleague, socialist Joe Higgins, also ranks among the most infrequent voters, having voted at only 31 sessions out of 79.
Neither Lowry nor Boyd Barrett responded to invitations for comment when approached by TheJournal.ie – but last night Higgins offered a vigorous defence of his attendance record.
“The voting records of Dáil Deputies reflect only a miniscule fraction of the crucial political work necessitated to fulfil an election mandate to [...] actively oppose the disastrous Fine Gael-Labour policy of continuing with the bailout of bankers, bondholders, speculators and the European markets system”, he said.
The Dublin West TD explained that the referendum on the Fiscal Compact and the opposition to the Household Charge required him to travel nationwide helping to build nationwide campaigns.
“Many of these activities conflicted with the Dail voting timetable,” Higgins said, adding:
Against a background where this government has a massive majority and can only be defeated by such mass movements of active opposition, Joe Higgins believes that it was far more crucial to assist the building of this opposition on the ground where such a conflict existed.
A slew of other TDs are also listed as having relatively poor voting records – though among them are several Fianna Fáil front-bench TDs who are among the members most likely to be ‘paired’ with a minister.
Ministers who have to miss Dáil sittings in order to attend to ministerial duties are usually ‘paired’ with a member of the opposition who then agrees to abstain in any votes that the minister misses.
This is particularly important where the Dáil majority is small, and allows a minister to attend other events without the fear that the Government could lose a Dáil vote because of them. Ordinarily the ‘paired’ member is a front-bench spokesman of the largest opposition party.
This goes some way to explaining the relatively infrequent voting of Willie O’Dea (28), Niall Collins (31), and the trio of Micheál Martin, Seán Fleming and Barry Cowen (34). The absence of Fine Gael’s Aine Collins (30) and Labour’s Willie Penrose (31) can be attributed to illness.
Fianna Fail’s John McGuinness has participated in 34 voting sessions, but as chairman of the Public Accounts Committee he is usually tied up in committee meetings on Thursdays.
The Munster pairing of Waterford independent John Halligan and the ULA’s Séamus Healy, from Tipperary South, are also among the more irregular attendees at 35 and 38 respectively.
Obligations as Irish delegates to the Council of Europe explains the absences of the Dublin Central independent Maureen O’Sullivan (36) and the Fine Gael duo of John Paul Phelan (38) and Joe O’Reilly (39).
At the other end of the scale, a series of Fine Gael backbenchers are the most regular voters. David Stanton has voted in 73 voting sessions, out of a possible 79, while Alan Farrell and Derek Keating have made it to 71. Brian Walsh and Paul Connaughton have attended 69 each, as has Labour’s Eric Byrne.
One appearance back, on 68, are Fianna Fáil whip Seán Ó Feargháil, Labour’s Kevin Humphreys, and the Fine Gael duo of Joe Carey and Noel Harrington. Another five government backbenchers have made it to 67 votes.
The total number of voting sessions, at 79, does not strictly equal the total number of actual votes (or ‘divisions’) which have taken place – as often a number of votes can be held in quick succession, under the same item on the Dáil’s daily agenda.
For example, debates on the Dáil’s order of business – which sets the agenda for the rest of the day – regularly result in multiple divisions being called. Similarly, when opposition motions are being debated, TDs will usually vote on a government amendment immediately before they divide for a final vote.
The records listed above deem a TD to have ‘voted’ if they have cast a vote in at least one division whenever one is held – meaning any absenteeism for votes held immediately beforehand, or immediately afterward, is not considered. It is estimated that about 100 individual divisions have been held thus far in 2012.
Dáil procedures have no way of recording any abstentions, meaning any conscious abstention by a TD is treated simply as if the member was absent.
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Nice job. Was the number of seat in each of the constituencies there. I couldn’t see it anywhere. Would be a nice feature to add. Please ignore if I’m blind and it is there!
Hi Daragh,
We’re working on that as I write and it should be rolled-out shortly.
Thanks
Hugh
Very Nice Interactive Map using Adobe Illustrator. Who’s the coder?
The number of seats in each constituency has now been added. Cheers for the heads up on that Daragh.
@Byyys: It was all done in-house by our (great and hardworking) Tech team.
They did a good job.
@Ian Dempsey #lick_arse
The irony of gerry Adams saying he wants to tackle crime!! Lol!
Can we start singing Cheerio Cheerio Cheerio to Alex White or do we have to wait until he is actually fooked out?
I think you have to wait until the electorate actually decide.
Joanne Tuffy needs to put in a current picture that one is 10 years old. She Won’t be getting a vote either ways.
Just had a look at my own constituency there and saw two so called independents who recently left Fianna Fáil over their failure to add them to the election ticket. Beware independents who have recently left establishment parties because they were not selected to run for their former party. How independent or different are they really?
Remember folks to check the background of independents before you just throw them a vote because you see independent next to their name.
Well done to the Journal for providing this election database. It’s important that people have background information about each candidate and do a bit of research before they cast their all important vote.
Ireland and Irish politics will always be broken until questions like ‘what do you hope to do for your home constituency? ‘ are asked. Nobody cares for the bigger picture
It’s doing things for their home constituencies that keeps the likes of Lowry elected. It’s getting away from that kind of thinking we need to be and doing things for the good of the country.
Agreed
Just a question
What dk people think of a list system as used in some European countries? Or maybe half by PR half on a list.
Why include a question about the candidates constituency? Is that not perpetuating the parish-pump politics we want to get away from? Its a national election and should be about national issues – local election for local stuff.
Good work all the same.
Wouldn’t it be useful to include information like the candidate being related to a sitting TD?
Like James Browne in Wexford hoping to get outgoing Daddy’s seat (John Browne).
John Browne got the seat vacated by his uncle Sean Browne in 1982 who was first elected in 1957!
Nepotism, he was probably reared to follow in daddy’s footsteps. Career politician. However hes still elected by the constituents so i think the blame falls at their feet.
Question?: What will you do about financial predators:-
- Landlords who max peoples Rent
- Banks who max peoples Debt
- Political Parties who max peoples Tax
We raise the ‘Max’ until we run out of your money.
Cant’ wait to see what happens to Lucinda in my constituency….see ye later!
Who will you vote for? I’d be hoping to see Kate and Glenna do it.
Not bad guys, navigation isn’t very intuitive, but theres some decent information there.
Some excellent candidates in my constituency, roll on the GE!
Hey journal commenter’s here don’t want your fancy dan well researched and thoughtful pieces. You’re not supposed to be ‘journalists’ you’re just apologists and cheerleaders for FG/SF/FF/Iphone Joan and Gurry. Get back in your box.
I often give our Hugo a hard time but fair play on the election center. It’s gonna be mayhem in the comments section in the lead up to the election!
Good resource but just two things ; why are candidates listed alphabetically by their first name? Secondly; Lucinda Creighton didn’t leave FG – she was expelled.
Well put together. Congrats Journal IT team. Now for some unbiased reporting…
Ah I’m only messing ;)
Hugh , could you also add who voted for and against the eviction bill please ?
Not 1 vote to fg,lab that’s the most important thing in this GE.
20 candidates in Dublin Bay North already. And I’ve never heard of either of the Shinners. The two alphabet soup candidates, not that I’d dream of voting for them, have a much higher profile.
I’m also in the newly-named Dublin Bay North. I see Tom Darcy is running for DDI-NCM (no idea).
That’s Tom Darcy, the man who stood outside the Allsops Auction in the Shelbourne Hotel in summer 2013 and told RTE News that “97 years ago …. Constant Markievicz gave up his life to enable us to eradicate suppression, taxation, eviction, criminality …”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kXqIbWacFRQ
As opposed to Countess Constance Markievicz, who fought in 1916 and she died of complications relating to appendicitis in 1927.
And this man wants my vote?!?!
Both candidates are Councillors in the area so you should have heard of them.
Mick Flavin using Frank Kilbrides name in Longford/Westmeath
Who is running laois / south kildare ?
The pickings are slim. What do you do when you want to vote but there’s nobody worth voting for?
Just looked. They are slim pickings. If I was in laois I’d vote Green, if I was sth Kildare – I might just abstain or vote Ind.
Have a look at our choices in Tipperary. It’s just depressing.
Slim pickins indeed! There is one Social Democrat in my constituency I may consider. Two independents but 1 left FF after failing a nomination in 2014 and 1 ex sinner who got expelled so that rules them out. Won’t vote for any current government candidates.
Really useful to have this map. A suggestion fro Journal.ie – it would be great to have a run down of where the parties stand on key issues. In our case, we’re looking at their commitments to mental health and logging these here: https://www.mentalhealthreform.ie/blog/party-manifestos-whos-saying-what-on-mental-health/
Great job on the map, thanks.
The same dara murphy that got a lift in a Garda car cause he might miss a flight and some person had hours to wait on a Garda car to call to them. Also the same dara murphy that has taken up most of the billboards advertising yourself in the last few weeks even in the south side and your a north side td. that has neglected his people for the last 5 years some joke
10 candidates in my constituency, I hope there will be more, can’t be giving FG/FF/Lab any preference. There are 2 FG candidates running in both Meath East and Meath West.
Same S**t, different A**holes! One party politics with an illusion of democracy.
Seán Ó Fearghail one of the most sensible politicians in the Dáil. Always reasonable and practical in the way he does his business. Would make an excellent Minister in a future government.
Excellent election overview. Everything I need to know.
Lonford Westmeath Goons the lot of them – One serious FF expense Jockey out of Mullingar, and 2 old school up the yard types. No wonder we are still stuck in the dark ages down here.
Willie O Dea very quick off the mark here in Limerick. He has been around asking for our votes already.
Is that not a terrorist mug shot I saw on your election app.
Dara Murphy???
Can anyone confirm if that Profile for the Independent Candidate Aislinn Tongue for Cork North Central is meant to be a joke? End the Monoloply of Educate Together Schools? There is ONE Educate Together primary school in the entire city and no secondary schools. Hardly a monopoly. Way to inspire confidence off the bat Aislinn.
You are really spoiling us.
Are all the candidates added? I thought Joe hannigan was running in tipperary but his not on the list…maybe his pulled out though?
have your say