Politics

Pat Rabbitte: Are we honestly convinced that having more TDs means better government?

If we really want to reflect the reality of modern Irish life, a review of the 1937 mandatory guidelines governing Dáil numbers is in order

“Party leaders may think: ‘If there’s an extra 15 seats, I might get a third of them.’ And the typical TD will think: ‘More seats enhance my chances of holding on.’” Picture: Maxwells Dublin

If the government anticipated that Mná na hÉireann would be dancing in the streets following the announcement by Taoiseach Leo Varadkar that we may have several referendums in November on gender equality, it appears to have been disappointed.

The response so far to his claim that the outcome will set Ireland on track to be “a world leader on gender equality in all its forms” has been somewhat underwhelming.

Even some of those likely to ...