Political Reform Motions

Political Reform

172. This Ard Fheis believes it is time for a new Irish Constitution, fully reflective of the values and aspirations of this island today.

This Ard Fheis calls for:

  • The establishment an all-Ireland Constitutional Forum drawn from representatives of both legislatures on this island and civic society to discuss and bring forward proposals for constitutional change. Using best international practice, this to be done within 18 months. The Forum would involve consultation at grassroots level and ensure participatory governance.
  • The goal to be to bring forward proposals for constitutional change to create a Constitution fully reflective of the values and aspirations of the Irish people today and which would form the basis for a future 32-county Republic. This would draw upon the equality provisions in the Good Friday Agreement to safeguard citizens’ rights and be soundly based on democratic principles and international human rights standards.
  • The Constitutional Forum to consider issues including a one-chamber (unicameral) or two-chamber (bicameral) parliament.
  • Constitutional changes to include enshrining and protecting social, economic and cultural rights as well as civil, religious and political rights.  The equal rights of minorities, including a future unionist minority within a united Ireland, should be expressly protected.
  • Proposed constitutional changes to be put to the people in referendum


Ard Chomhairle

Passed                            Lost                           Referred

173. This Ard Fheis believes that the electoral systems in the 26 Counties and the Oireachtas are not fit for a modern democracy.  The Oireachtas is largely male, middle-class and middle-aged.  It is unrepresentative.  Many people are not on the electoral register or they do not vote.  Reform of the political system must aim to increase the participation of citizens at all levels. 

This Ard Fheis supports:

  • Holding of elections at weekends.
  • Establishing an Independent Electoral Commission to be responsible for voter registration and education.
  • Simplifying voter registration by automatically registering voters as soon as they become eligible to vote, using PPS numbers to avoid fraud.
  • Reducing the voting age to 16.
  • Extending voting rights in Presidential elections to citizens in the Six Counties.
  • All 18 MPs from the North automatically to be accorded membership of the Oireachtas.
  • Extension of the right to vote to Irish citizens living abroad including for general elections.  This would include a restriction based on the length of time that a person has been abroad.
  • Reform of how the Dáil is elected to make it more representative. Elect one-third of the Dáil from a list system and the other two-thirds from seven-seat constituencies based on our current PRSTV system.
  • Extension of  voting rights to non-citizens legally resident in the state for at least five years.
  • Increasing representation of women in the Oireachtas to ensure gender parity.  Support the introduction of gender quotas for political party nominations.
  • Reducing the term of the Presidency from seven to five years and the process of nomination should be changed to allow a specified number of citizens to nominate a candidate for the presidency.

Ard Chomhairle

Murphy/McManus Cumann
Derrylin/Kinawley, Co. Fermanagh

MacDiarmada Gilgunn, Manorhamilton

Passed                            Lost                           Referred

174. This Ard Fheis calls on the Irish Government to facilitate a referendum to enable an extension of voting rights in future Presidential elections to Irish citizens living abroad, as well as Irish citizens in the Six Counties.

Ard Chomhairle

Murphy/McManus Cumann
Derrylin/Kinawley, Co. Fermanagh

MacDiarmada Gilgunn, Manorhamilton

James Stephens Cumann, Kilkenny City,
Kilkenny

Passed                            Lost                           Referred

175. This Ard Fheis believes that the political system has failed the people. The Oireachtas has consistently failed to exert sufficient scrutiny over the Irish government and public bodies.  Sinn Féin believes it is time for fundamental political change. 

This Ard  Fheis calls for:

  • A meaningful system of local government which could allow for TDs to put a greater focus on national matters, and which would allow for the real engagement of the community in politics on a day to day basis, and increase the potential for direct democracy.
  • The abolition of the Seanad in its current form and the beginning of a process to examine alternative fora which could provide a balance to the Dáil.
  • Ministerial salaries to be capped at €100,000; TDs’ salaries at €75,000 and Senators’ salaries at €60,000.  Cap wages in the public sector at €100,000.
  • The Dáil to be more accessible to the public, increasing the number of days the Dáil sits, and introducing family-friendly sitting hours.
  • TDs to be given more power to hold the Government to account and to question the Taoiseach and Ministers on issues of importance.
  • Dáil committees to be given investigative powers and committee chairs to be allocated proportionally on the basis of party strength with no additional financial reward attached to them
  • A thorough audit of QUANGOs and unelected bodies, retaining only those agencies whose independent function is essential to the public interest.
  •  An end to political appointments to State boards to put an end to the cronyism which has been shown to be rife – there needs to be an open and transparent system of appointments to State bodies.
  • The introduction of legislation to protect whistleblowers.

Ard Chomhairle

Passed                            Lost                           Referred

176. This Ard Fheis calls for the Review of Public Administration to be implemented in full

Riverdale Cumann

177. This Ard Fheis:

  • Commends Belfast City Council for successfully putting the d’Hont system in place for the selection of mayor and committee chairs.
  • Condemns the exclusion of Sinn Féin from positions such as mayor and committee chair positions by unionist parties in other councils.
  • Condemns the SDLP’s collusion with this discriminatory practice.
  • Calls for an inclusive, power-sharing approach to be implemented in local councils across all councils in the Six Counties.

Lagmore Cumann

Passed                            Lost                           Referred

178. This Ard Fheis

  •  Notes the 26 County State has one of the most centralised systems of governance in the western world
  • Affirms the party’s longstanding position of seeking to enhance the role and the democratic base of local government
  • Notes that any reform or structural change to the 26 Counties system of local governance must increase the scope for accountability and transparency and democratic participation in public administration and development of policy while also further increasing the state’s democratic structure.
  • Rejects the proposals to merge existing local authority structures where this is merely a cost-saving initiative and where there is no parallel increase in addressing the democratic deficit within local government.
  • Compels Sinn Féin to actively oppose any moves to merge Limerick County and City Councils.

Clancy/O’Callaghan Cumann,
Limerick City

Passed                            Lost                           Referred

179. This Ard Fheis calls for polling and counting staffing posts to be filled by suitable people registered as unemployed rather than gifting additional monies to people already in paid employment.

MacDiarmada Gilgunn, Manorhamilton

Passed                            Lost                           Referred

180. This Ard Fheis asks that the party takes the lead in trying to achieve a consensus on ending the use of electoral posters in all future elections.

Betsy Gray Cumann, Ballinahinch,
South Down

Passed                            Lost                           Referred

181. This Ard Fheis recognises that the current system of expense reimbursement within the Oireachtas is excessive and is not appropriate or sufficiently regulated.  This Ard Fheis believes that that there has been abuse of this system. Furthermore the current government is introducing extensive cuts in the quality of life for the average person in Ireland, but it has failed to properly bring an end to the high salaries and “expense” bonus for Ministers, TDs and Senators.

Therefore, this Ard Fheis believes:

  •  That Ministers, TDs’ and Senators’ expenses should be capped and that expenses should only be used for reasonable and necessary expenses, the definition of which should be determined by an independent monitoring body.
  • That reasonable expense reimbursement should require solid documentation.

Michael J. Marren, South Sligo

Passed                            Lost                           Referred

Ard Fheis 2011