The Dáil should sit longer, but in fairness, the TDs aren't going to spend the three weeks on holidays. Most of them are going to spend it trying to get caught up on their avalanche of constituency work.
The basic problem is that we live in a country where people think their elected rep is there not to enact legislation but to sort out all their personal problems. I was told last week about one rep who was asked by a family to go to a funeral home to retrieve a Pioneer pin off a relative's dead body! Consequently the Dáil has become a place that TDs feel under pressure to spend as little time in as they can get away with - being there interferes with the work that they have to do to get elected.
People complain about the long Dáil breaks, and they're right to, but it's ultimately the fault of the electorate. As long as people keep voting for their local FF rep because "he does good work on the ground" rather than basing their votes on policy issues, the system isn't going to change.
That's what happens when you elect the gombeen men.
I have sympathy for people who didn't vote FF, for all the rest who did....
Serves you right, alap it up ye!
Politicians not required to provide receipts?
Absolute guarantee of fraud. Even with receipts, there would be abuse.
I thought that our politicians were thieves. You better quit publicizing this, or you'll have American politicians coming over there for lessons.
Are all the TD's expenses made public or did what you speak of just happen to leak out?
Expenses are made public.
Chris makes a good point. The people in the West who voted FF and are moaning about job losses due to Aer Lingus pulling out of Shannon are morons who can lap it up. The people who didn't of course deserve sympathy and help.
The post is in error. You should encourage the Dail to take far longer breaks/vacations/holidays.
" No man's life, liberty or fortune is safewhile our legislature is in session."
Benjamin Franklin (who was rarely wrong)
Even with having to provide receipts politicians here still spend unnecessary amounts of taxpayer dollars. Though I shudder to think how much worse it could be.
Do other EU countries not make elected officials provide receipts for expenses?
Has the Irish system always been like this or did someone enact a change?
Again, its a guarantee that someone is stealing when you have a super liberal expense policy that does not require receipts.
No receipts? You serious? Never knew that.
Lads, Do you really think it would be different under Fine Gael.
Bertie is a crook plain and simple, but so are a hell of alot of politicans across the board.
I glad you liked the photo 
You might like Bertie's first communion ones too
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