THE DAIL’S working hours are likely to be increased by one third, after talks between government and opposition parties which begin this week.

The longer sitting times are part of a plan to modernise Dail procedures and to increase public interest in politics. There will also be a “backbenchers’ hour” that will allow ordinary TDs to question senior cabinet ministers on issues of the day.

Pat Carey, the government chief whip, is proposing to increase the Dail’s sitting time by seven hours a week — from its present 22.25 — by introducing a new 9.30am starting time. There would also be a ban on deputies reading from lengthy written scripts during debates on legislation.

“We will look at ideas like trying to align the working period of the Dail closer to the average working week,” said Carey. “We will look at streamlining leaders’ questions and giving an opportunity to backbenchers to question ministers on topics chosen at the discretion of the ceann comhairle.”

Backbenchers from both the opposition and government sides will also be given a more enhanced role once the traditional night-time adjournment debate is shifted to 9.30am, the start of the day’s news cycle.

The reforms are regarded as a necessary precursor to theestablishment of a Dail television channel. TDs are keen to have proceedings televised live each day, but are aware the current format would not lend itself to interesting viewing.

Government and opposition whips have met informally several times this year in the office of John O’Donoghue, the ceann comhairle, in a bid to modernise Dail procedures by consensus.

Previous efforts at Dail reform ended in stalemate over the issue of leaders’ questions. Fine Gael is unhappy with a reform introduced in 2002 that excused the taoiseach from attending on Thursdays, reducing his presence in the house to two days a week.

O’Donoghue has encouraged the parties to focus on making progress on less contentious proposals so as to reduce the amount of argument over Dail procedures and to improve the general standard of debate. The proposals Carey will present this week have evolved from the talks facilitated by O’Donoghue.

Under current practice, deputies often arrive in their Dail seat seconds before they are due to speak, deliver a written script in monotone to a near empty chamber and leave as soon as they have finished speaking. This can mean they speak on legislation without listening or responding to any other speaker in the debate.

Measures to improve the standard of Dail debate include a ban on deputies reading speeches, especially during the most important, second-stage debate; and a rule obliging TDs to take their seats at least 15 minutes before they speak.

The proposals this week would shave two minutes off the existing leaders’ questions slot on Tuesday afternoon and Wednesday morning, but this cannot be implemented without opposition agreement.

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