The public has expressed the overwhelming view, in today's Irish Times/MRBI opinion poll, that Mr Liam Lawlor should resign from the Dail because of revelations made before the Flood tribunal and his reluctance to co-operate with that body. Fewer than one in ten of those questioned felt Mr Lawlor should continue on as a member of the Oireachtas. The result represents an indisputable vote of no confidence in the Dublin West TD who recently resigned from the Fianna Fail party and who will become the subject of a number of censure motions when the Dail resumes next Tuesday. Already, the Labour Party has proposed that the code of conduct for TDs, established under the Ethics in Public Office Act, should be strengthened and updated to deal with a situation where a Dail member acts in an unacceptable and unethical manner. And Minister of State, Ms Liz O'Donnell, has indicated she is preparing proposals in that area for the Progressive Democrats.
The handling of the Lawlor affair by the Flood tribunal, and by the Government, has drawn very different responses from the public and may help to inform Dail decision-making in the days ahead. Almost two-thirds of those questioned were satisfied with the way in which the Flood tribunal and the courts responded to Mr Lawlor's failure to co-operate with the inquiry, which led to him being jailed for contempt of court. In contrast, only 34 per cent were satisfied with the Government's response. And this figure fell to 25 per cent in Dublin.
In the light of those figures, the desire by the Opposition parties to devote a considerable amount of Dail time to the Lawlor affair, next week, is understandable. But, given the poor record of the Taoiseach, Mr Ahern, in publicly denouncing unacceptable behaviour by members and former members of Fianna Fail, they are unlikely to be facilitated.
As the Government prepares for a new Dail term, and keeps a weather eye on the prospect of a general election, the public has signalled its priorities in that contest. Health, hospitals and medical care were identified as the most compelling issues for the majority of the electorate in deciding how they will vote. This was followed closely by prices and the cost of living and, further back, housing and homelessness, jobs and unemployment, taxation, education, scandals and honesty in public life and crime/law and order. That list of motivating factors will hardly come as a surprise to the Government. But it emphasises the public desire, at this stage, to move from a political agenda focused on tax-cutting to one that invests in public services and improves the quality of life for all citizens. A falling level of respect for politicians has been advanced as the major reason why some people no longer vote. This is an issue of pressing importance for the well-being of our democratic system and the Government and Opposition parties have a responsibility to consider it carefully. As the law stands, only bankruptcy or a six-month jail sentence can force the resignation of a TD. And it is important that the electorate should retain the ultimate sanction in most circumstances. That said, some actions by elected representatives, that fall outside the terms of the Ethics in Public Office Act, would warrant disciplinary action by the Oireachtas. The issue should be revisited by the Government.