The election of a ceann comhairle is the first task to be undertaken when the 34th Dáil meets for the first time tomorrow. That it is a decision of some consequence is reflected in the fact that the role is among the most handsomely remunerated elected positions in the State. The successful candidate will be responsible for ordering the business of the lower house, along with broader governance duties towards the Oireachtas as a whole. They will also be returned automatically to the following Dáil.
It is debatable whether the gravity of the choice is reflected in the quality of the five candidates whose names have emerged so far. Three of these come from the ranks of Fianna Fáil, one from Sinn Féin and one from the recently constituted Regional Independents group.
The elections of ceann comhairle and leas ceann comhairle are the only secret ballots conducted among this highly politicised 174-strong constituency. The outcome, therefore, is unpredictable. TDs will be swayed by party allegiance, personal affinity and strategic self-interest.
If Seán Ó Fearghaíl, who is seeking a third term, is successful, he could end up serving for almost 14 years. It is a principle of good governance that such a lengthy tenure is undesirable.
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John McGuinness was deemed by the Supreme Court to have acted unlawfully in his role as chair of the Public Accounts Committee during its questioning of Rehab chief executive Angela Kerins. That is surely a factor worth considering. As is the fact that Regional Independent Verona Murphy was de-selected by Fine Gael in 2019 for inflammatory and factually wrong comments on immigration, for which she later apologised.
Given the overall political complexion of the new Dáil, it seems unlikely that Sinn Féin’s Aengus Ó Snodaigh will be successful, while Fianna Fáil’s Michael Moynihan will battle it out with party colleagues Ó Fearghaíl and McGuinness.
In this pre-Christmas hiatus, tomorrow’s contest offers a mild frisson of political suspense. But it is hard to avoid the conclusion that the new Dáil has been presented with an uninspiring choice.
