Advertisement

We need your help now

Support from readers like you keeps The Journal open.

You are visiting us because we have something you value. Independent, unbiased news that tells the truth. Advertising revenue goes some way to support our mission, but this year it has not been enough.

If you've seen value in our reporting, please contribute what you can, so we can continue to produce accurate and meaningful journalism. For everyone who needs it.

New boy: Stephen Donnelly, centre, learned early on in his first term as TD to give your mobile number to the media... because they'll get it anyway. Sasko Lazarov/Photocall Ireland

10 things I learned in my first term in the Dail

Independent TD Stephen Donnelly’s guide to life in Leinster House: “Like jumping onto a fast-moving train, blindfolded, whilst balancing a full tray of drinks…”

IF A WEEK is a long time in politics, imagine how long a full first term in the Dail feels for a first-time TD.

Stephen Donnelly, independent deputy for Wicklow and East Carlow, has learned several lessons in his rollercoaster first four and a half months in Leinster House: Give out your mobile number, realise that some politicians’ bark is worse than their bite – and don’t blow up balloons in the car park.

Helium balloons can blow up in your face.

Or in the Minister for Agriculture’s face (well, his officials’ in this case). We helped run a protest against the cuts to Special Needs Assistants and, wanting it to be child friendly, we organised face painting and helium balloons (which went down a treat). Half an hour before the demo, the team were inflating balloons in the Department of Agriculture car park (which is where our office is, next door to Leinster House).

Unfortunately, nobody noticed that the spot they’d chosen to inflate the balloons was the Minister’s reserved parking spot. Cue arrival of a rather put-out official, looking to park in a hurry, only to find the space occupied by 100 pink helium balloons.

“Surprise!” shouts a quick-thinking young volunteer. “Happy birthday!” Alas, an official complaint was made. Seriously.

Give your mobile number to the media.

On day one in the Dáil, a friend with some knowledge of these things warned me to be careful about giving out my mobile phone number. Unfortunately, this warning was still fresh in my ears when I was stopped on the corridor by one of the country’s leading political correspondents. He introduced himself, and asked for my number. I apologised, but said I didn’t really want to give it out. Within minutes, he’d got it from another journalist; by that evening, I was being badmouthed in the Dáil bar; and next morning, it was in the paper. Oops.

Words matter.

During the campaign, I argued that the Irish “bailout” was actually a net transfer of wealth from us to the French and Germans, rather than the reverse. That was ridiculed by many at the time; it’s now seen as common sense. (The next step in that debate is to convince the German and French public.) Slowly, I think this is feeding into policy. I was also ridiculed for saying I believed that independent TDs could hold the government to account. We’ve no real legislative power, but we do have a platform, and I think it can be used to make a difference.

They’re always watching.

I was warned by an old hand during my first week: “In Leinster House, you’re always being watched”. Last week proved the case for me. At a four-hour sub-committee meeting, a small number of TDs went through the detailed spending estimates for the new Department of Public Sector Expenditure and Reform with Minister Howlin. Right at the end, I commented on the fact that nearly every spending item had increased over 2010. Within an hour my remarks were on the RTE website, and I discussed the situation early the next morning on Morning Ireland. Four hours.

The Dáil is an echo chamber.

The phrase “Dáil debate” is an oxymoron. For the most part, there is no debate: the norm is a pretty dull series of scripted speeches by politicians who aren’t listening to each other, and aren’t even talking to each other – they are talking to their constituents, or some lobby group, or (they hope) to the media. There are exceptions of course, but they are exactly that.

I would love to know, since the formation of this new Dáil, how much legislation or Government policy has been changed based on input from the Chamber. Reform of the whip system, and of Dáil procedures, would greatly increase the quality of debate, and therefore the quality of our democracy.

Relationships are typically better than they seem.

In the media, and in the chamber, politicians often go on the attack: they can be scathing of each other, even contemptuous. And then, in the corridor outside, in the canteen, in the studio after the show, it’s often as if it never happened – they’re friendly, offer advice, solicit your opinion. So far anyway!

The Dáil is dysfunctional.

The Dáil’s primary function is the debate of legislation. Legislation is complex (often mind bogglingly so). So in order to research and debate legislation properly, you need to know what the legislation is – in advance.

But the Dáil schedule for legislation to be debated is prepared week to week, and released to us on a Thursday or Friday – compounding the other problems with the Dáil not being a serious debating chamber.

Old habits die hard.

There is a sense of openness about this Government – that they’re open to ideas and contributions from outside their own ranks. But then it comes to appointing the members of the influential Houses of the Oireachtas Commission, which basically runs the place: there are two opposition places on it, and both went to Fianna Fail. Clearly, they intend nobody to be rocking that boat.

It doesn’t stop. Except for the summer.

The past few months have felt like jumping onto a fast moving train, blindfolded, whilst balancing a full tray of drinks, debating the speed and condition of the train with the driver, and all the while trying to look like everything is under control. It is incredibly busy (and exciting, challenging and rewarding). I never really understood the summer recess… I get it now. I think there’s a general sense around the place of people looking forward to a pause, at least in legislation.

Politics can work.

There is a huge amount of energy, enthusiasm and talent on the corridors of the Dáil – from those of all parties (and none). This is a Dáil of unprecedented freshness. I may be naïve, or I may be accused of succumbing to Stockholm syndrome.  I hope not.  I hope my initial instincts are correct, that this Dáil really can make politics work better? You be the judge.

Readers like you are keeping these stories free for everyone...
A mix of advertising and supporting contributions helps keep paywalls away from valuable information like this article. Over 5,000 readers like you have already stepped up and support us with a monthly payment or a once-off donation.

Close
20 Comments
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Roy Mitchell
    Favourite Roy Mitchell
    Report
    Jul 21st 2011, 1:05 PM

    Interesting piece. I hope the author is right about this Dail.
    I really think the Journal should do more pieces like this by first time TDs. It’s give people an insight into what it’s really like in there!

    105
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Seamus Ryan
    Favourite Seamus Ryan
    Report
    Jul 21st 2011, 1:14 PM

    Worth reading. Cheers for taking the time to write it, Stephen.

    76
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Seán Cafferkey
    Favourite Seán Cafferkey
    Report
    Jul 21st 2011, 1:22 PM

    Great column. I always wondered what it was like for a first TD in the Dail

    51
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Kiki Dee
    Favourite Kiki Dee
    Report
    Jul 21st 2011, 1:26 PM

    Very interesting piece Stephen. I really enjoyed reading it. :)

    37
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Maureen Kelly
    Favourite Maureen Kelly
    Report
    Jul 21st 2011, 2:05 PM

    Really enjoyed that! Let’s have some more!! How about asking Ming? :)

    25
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Jeff Rudd
    Favourite Jeff Rudd
    Report
    Jul 21st 2011, 2:02 PM

    Cheers Stephen. Great writing and eye opening stuff.
    More please?

    24
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute damian
    Favourite damian
    Report
    Jul 21st 2011, 2:03 PM

    Good article and a nice insight into the day to day workings of the Dail that we rarely get a chance to hear about…

    21
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Aoife O'Connor
    Favourite Aoife O'Connor
    Report
    Jul 21st 2011, 2:08 PM

    An interesting and enlightening read. Too few TDs realise how little most of us know about what they do and how they do it, so it’s nice to have a little insight.

    18
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Mark Dennehy
    Favourite Mark Dennehy
    Report
    Jul 21st 2011, 1:23 PM

    Legislation is complex (often mind bogglingly so). So in order to research and debate legislation properly, you need to know what the legislation is – in advance.

    16
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute sure2bsure
    Favourite sure2bsure
    Report
    Jul 22nd 2011, 5:25 AM

    I’m just curious. I thought legislation was drafted by senior civil servants with the aid of the states legal people. Surely if they need specialist advice they can just pay for it?

    2
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Mark Dennehy
    Favourite Mark Dennehy
    Report
    Jul 22nd 2011, 4:25 PM

    Who would you pay to get specialist advice on civilian firearms ownership in Ireland?
    Other than civilian firearms owners (who’ve been trying to give them that advice for free for nearly forty years now), that is.

    2
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Simon Cunnane
    Favourite Simon Cunnane
    Report
    Jul 21st 2011, 4:10 PM

    Excellent article.

    I’ve been consistently impressed with Stephen Donnelly since I first saw him on “Tonight With Vincent Browne” last January. He is articulate, knowledgeable and has the qualifications to back up most of what he says. The electorate clearly warmed to that and in four and a half months, it’s very interesting to get this sort of insight into the workings of Dáil Eireann from him.

    More of this from TheJournal.ie please.

    14
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Noel Carroll
    Favourite Noel Carroll
    Report
    Jul 21st 2011, 4:10 PM

    Maybe it’s just me but just because you’re a TD, it doesn’t give journalists the right to ask for your private number, and you have the right to refuse. Who of us in our jobs would gladly give out our private numbers to clients or associates? Who of us would be happy to have a third party volunteer that information after we said no. That journalist needs to be outer as a bulky and as someone who has risen above their station.

    13
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Noel Carroll
    Favourite Noel Carroll
    Report
    Jul 21st 2011, 4:11 PM

    I did mean the journalist should be outed as a bully :).

    9
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute James Gaffney
    Favourite James Gaffney
    Report
    Jul 21st 2011, 6:18 PM

    Politicians and journalists share mobile numbers all the time, it’s a quid pro quo, sometimes politicians want to publicise an issue quickly and like to have instant access to a trusted journalist and vice versa, sometimes a journalist wants to get an instant reaction to a story from a politician, having each other’s mobiles just makes life easier for both parties. Politicians should realise that in this era of mass communications, they have to be accessible to the media. For the record I do give my mobile out to clients and associates and have no problem with it.

    Saying that, I agree with you that it was bad form out of the journalist in question to first of all get his number from a colleague and secondly to whine about it the next day in the paper, talk about a non-story.

    Fair play to Stephen Donnelly, a very interesting piece. I liked your train metaphor, something we can all relate to, and hopefully your comments on the Dáil as an echo chamber will echo loudly around the corridors of power until something is done to improve the situation.

    10
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Oisín Ó Dálaigh
    Favourite Oisín Ó Dálaigh
    Report
    Jul 21st 2011, 3:34 PM

    Thank you for writing what is a really excellent and informative piece, and it confirmed what I thought regarding the true nature of Dáil debate.

    Would love to hear more insights from Stephen as his time serving progresses.

    13
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Aoife O'Connor
    Favourite Aoife O'Connor
    Report
    Jul 21st 2011, 4:09 PM

    I’d love to know who’s thumbs-downing the people who are basically going “Hmm, that’s interesting, I didn’t know that before” and why they’re doing it.

    Care to leave a comment with your reasons, red-thumb ninjas?

    12
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Aidan Molloy
    Favourite Aidan Molloy
    Report
    Jul 21st 2011, 3:25 PM

    Within minutes, he’d got it from another journalist; by that evening, I was being badmouthed in the Dáil bar; and next morning, it was in the paper. Oops. – Stinks of NOTW carry on.

    9
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Daithi Linnane
    Favourite Daithi Linnane
    Report
    Jul 21st 2011, 2:00 PM

    Can’t wait to read his inevitable book on Dáil Reform

    4
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Loraine Byrne
    Favourite Loraine Byrne
    Report
    Jul 22nd 2011, 5:38 PM

    Well done Stephen, proud to have given you a vote. Everything I’ve seen of your time in the dail has been progressive- including this article- keep up the excellent juggling!

    2
Submit a report
Please help us understand how this comment violates our community guidelines.
Thank you for the feedback
Your feedback has been sent to our team for review.
JournalTv
News in 60 seconds