I’ve mentioned before my deep regard for the wearing of suits, so it should come as no surprise that I support the new dress code in the Dáil. If you’re not aware of these plans, this article should enlighten you (it’s poorly edited, though; the lack of quotation marks around the word “nonsense” makes it seem that Deaglán de Bréadún shares the opinion of the quoted TDs). Simply put, suits should be worn in the Dáil; anyone who fails to abide by these rules will be disciplined. Interestingly, the original draft of the new code did not mention women at all, making it obvious that it is directed at several specific people; the names that spring to mind being Mick Wallace, Luke “Ming” Flanagan and Richard Boyd Barrett.
Now, my guess is that these three individually want to present themselves as figureheads, or even martyrs if and when the rules come in. Let’s face it, though; they’re not really the most credible of figureheads. Mick Wallace chooses to exhibit his sedition through the unique expedient of wearing a pink shirt.
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| They say you can see it from space. |
As for Flanagan, well, the fact is that I might listen to someone called Luke Flanagan. When he is constantly referred to as “Ming”, though, I feel the strange and irresistible urge to ridicule him, and possibly call Flash Gordon (intriguingly, when I Googled “Ming the Merciless”, Flanagan’s Wikipedia entry is the second search result). As for Richard Boyd Barrett, I don’t really have a particular stick with which to beat him; I just consider him an overly outspoken tool.
It’s only today that I’ve really come to wonder why exactly these fellows make a point of dressing (relatively) casually. On the one hand, I understand that they’re attempting to identify themselves with the ordinary citizens. I have some sympathy with the attempt, and I even think it’s a worthy ambition, but the fact is that the moment they crossed the boundary of Dáil Éireann, they set themselves apart. They were set apart, in fact, by the people investing a certain power in them through representative democracy; I don’t feel it’s unreasonable to suggest that their dress should reflect this privileged position. Indeed, failing to do so almost seems ungrateful. On the other hand, it strikes me that they may be attempting to set themselves apart; to prove that they haven’t joined the political elite. To do this simply by not wearing a suit seems rather disingenuous, and bears the danger of obfuscating more serious issues. If the dissenters wish to set themselves apart and prove their independence, which is laudable in itself, they should do so with their words and actions, not their dress.
I do feel that this matter is nonsense, in the sense of being a non-issue. I’m sure some of the dissenters would at least partially agree with me there, but we would soon part ways, as it were. It’s no secret that the dignity and reputation of the Dáil has been besmirched in recent years (indeed, arguably since at least the time of Jack Lynch) by the actions of some of its more unscrupulous TDs. I believe part of the remit for Enda Kenny’s government is restoring trust in the Dáil, and its dignity; with this in mind, the dress code is important.
It sometimes seems that whenever anyone wants to make a point about Irish political culture, they drag up words like “confidence” and “laughing stock” (almost as much as “sovereignty”, a word thoroughly misused by people in dire need of a dictionary). In this case, however, they are warranted. Confidence is everything in economics, and the sight of a hairy man in a pink shirt as one of the Irish people’s elected representatives would tend to undermine that confidence.
Now, as I’ve suggested, I do have some sympathy with the anti-suit crowd’s aims. Indeed, they will capture my respect if they are prepared to don suits (but not ties, which I think is a fair compromise) for the sake of their constituents. Compromise is a vital feature in politics; without it, Ireland and Britain would both be without governments at the moment, there would be no Anglo-Irish or Good Friday Agreements and no budget would ever make it through any parliament anywhere. I note with approval that Luke Flanagan quit smoking cannabis a few months ago for the sakes of his family and Dáil seat, while continuing to campaign for its legalisation; this is precisely what I mean by compromise. I hope this means that he, at least, will have the sense to don a jacket. It’s really not the end of the world, and it’s certainly preferable to being a News of the World employee*.
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| I should mention that I do like Flanagan's beard. |
* - Yes, I couldn’t get through a whole post this week without mentioning the biggest news story of the week.
