Full House

I’ve just spent the last half hour or so watching a Dáil debate, live on the internet.

The lower House is debating a Labour party motion on housing policy and public-private partnerships.

The motion notes the ‘collapse’ of five public private partnerships agreements in Dublin, and the fact that ‘a single developer, Michael McNamara & Company was selected as the preferred bidder for all five projects’ with the council, estimated to cost €1 billion.

Meanwhile, housing lists in Dublin have grown steadily over the last decade and a half,

Part of me is still stunned at the technology that allows me to watch the national parliament as it considers matters of national importance, and makes decisions that will affect – and we hope, improve – the lives of hundreds of thousands of citizens.

But the more cynical part of me can’t help but notice that the chamber appears to be almost entirely empty.

I can’t help but suspect that, as I write, there are more TDs in the bar of Buswell’s hotel than in the Dáil chamber, gladhanding their constituents and making sure of another half dozen votes each in the next election.

Nice to know they have a sense of priorities.

By Gerard Cunningham

Gerard Cunningham occupies his time working as a journalist, writer, sub-editor, blogger and podcaster, yet still finds himself underemployed.