Engaging Citizens

Engaging Citizens is the title of the report from the Democracy Commission published today.  The full report is available here and the executive summary can be found here.  So far I've only just read the latter and there's much promising material to discuss over future posts.  RTE's report on the evening news highlighted the Commissions call for obligatory 50:50 gender quotas for candidates put forward by political parties.  (I'm sure we can look forward to the likes of Kevin Myers and John Waters fulminating against this particular capitulation to feminist tyranny). Other issues that are prominent are citizenship education, the proliferation of non-departmental public bodies that lack accountability and the concomitant weakness of the Oireachtas in terms of scrutiny, the strengthening of local government including the direct election of mayors and the creation of a press ombudsman and press council recognised by law.