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After Christmas my voice was knackered from shouting abuse at the tellybox. Such was the fury, I thought I’d share it with Village, for therapy. For instance, one 30-second Vodafone TV ad tickled my comedy tummy much more racily than three whole hours of sit-com by Jason Byrne? In the advert, a woman runs in to a pub loo to consult a pub quiz expert. Now he confuses whales with Wales, because he is thick. A great dumb gag, but beautifully shot, comically acted by the main player, (a Yank doppleganger of David Walliams). A hard working conceit taking the maximum from excellent timing. With just 30 seconds, bang, job done, that’s enough. Meanwhile, Jason Byrne clattered onto screens in Britain and Ireland on a ‘Mrs Brown’s Boys’ rebound with six, six!, 30-minute episodes of a train wreck called ‘Father Figure’ I cringed at what was more war-crime than sit-com, embarrassed too for some great comedy actors, who looked lost on Byrne’s vanity project. And where exactly was ‘Father Figure’ set? Is it a drab suburb of Dublin, (Ballinteer?) cut and pasted into Huddersfield? Or what? Who cares, it was brutal. RTÉ didn’t promote it at all – see, they knew they had a big fat turkey on their hands. Saints be praised it had no DVD Christmas presence and I pray it won’t be repeated … but you know RTÉ. Still, I heard a swaggering Jason Byrne puff his effort on ‘Front Row’, BBC Radio 4’s flagship arts programme. He described ‘Father Figure’ as – ‘Some Mothers’ Do Ave ‘Em’ meets ‘Outnumbered’. What, exactly: ‘Some Mothers Do Ave ‘Em’ eked a dated humour from nothing more subtle than a whining Man-Girl-Boy and catchphrases “a bit of trouble” and “OOOh… Betty”. Did I do a whoopsee? Yes you did and you made a series out of it, forty years ago. And ‘Outnumbered’ was about as pacy as a family outing to Starbucks, without even SMDH’s Keatonesque pratfalls. You’ll find more sophisticated humour on ‘Peppa Pig’. More energy, credible characters and plot development but then ‘Peppa Pig’ has been professionally worked through. Byrne needs to tiptoe back to comedy writer John Henderson, who saw him through a number of series on RTÉ and BBC, and the tolerable ‘The Lounge’. To the next ad break! This time, Surf. Two studenty English birds are in a laundry room. Dreamy Girl has a vintage dress, which she absolutely adores. Stoic Pal looks on, bored, benignly tolerating her pal’s frock fanaticism and there you have it. Simple. The acting is acute, the humour gentle, sweet and durable, so with each viewing you see another lovely nuance in the performances.The understated genius is the rarity of the gentleness. Topical gems are rare in this provincial country, where history repeats itself but jadedly so as to leave no drama, with no proper celebs (who stick around), unreformed parish-pump politics and an incestuous cabal of self-furthering few Meeja Personalities. Yet in this Depression Éire, we have had at least five newish, topicalish satirical series fighting over a lean funny-bone. Bring me the head of the Head of Comedy, at RTÉ. Wait, there never has been a Head of Comedy at RTÉ. So one gifted impressionist slugs it out with another gifted impressionist, as Oliver Callan goes toe to toe with Mario Rosenstock. Some of Mario’s characters are better judged than Callan’s. Most of Mario’s sketches are produced better than Callan’s. But Mario’s scripts are third world. Feels like Mario needs an editor (let’s be honest: an executioner) for the TV show, but sure the make-up is on, the set is built – Action! Let’s ignore all the trends, timings and lessons learned over 17 years ago, when ‘The Fast Show’ first appeared – sure, linger a while. Half the time you’re left credulous waiting for the punch line as you realise yet another sketch is bearing down on you before you thought the previous one had been terminated. So, why can’t these guys get together, maybe make ONE knockout series? Why that’s as mad as saying “we’re a tiny country with the population of Greater Manchester, we need only one decent bank.” I feel an ad break coming on. Mario’s orange fitness freak on the Aviva campaign is funnier, over a precious 30 seconds, than many of the characters he stretches out over his thirty minute romps. After the metaphorical break the exact same topical leftovers are then scavenged by brave ‘Irish Pictorial Weekly’ and the woegeous ‘Republic of Telly’. Baldy Noonan? Tick. Roy Keane? Tick. First come. First satirised? In 2013 ‘Irish Pictorial Weekly’ went for even more tortured obscurantism than usual, though of the three it’s the success and there are moments of brilliance with appalled Germans and cossetted traitor civil servants. And the self-indulgent (mad, angry and above all loose) but usually brilliant ‘Savage Eye’, with its menagerie of lunatics, grows on you and leaves the taste of vomit when you come back to politics as it is actually practised, in a way that only the disaffected scion of a great dynasty of public men like David Andrews (junior) could conjure so acutely (see Ardal O’Hanlon). Oh no, then there’s ‘Republic of Telly’. Bad Culchie Chic – a terrible, pixellated, rough, RTÉ in-house rag-mag. A bogman’s amateur half hour and Jennifer Maguire trun’ in. The Rubber Bandits look like they’ve turned up on the wrong show? Go Pictorial, next year boys! Bernard O’ Shea features on ‘ROT’ – today’s non threatening, gas craic, RTÉ Golden Balls. A company man, like our Jason, O’Shea is perfect for scrutiny by an uptight Tubbs on the ‘Late Late Show’. See, Tubridy fears those sharp, edgy comics – the ones that answer back and don’t buy his corny feed lines. Tom Cruise. The nation’s toes, nails, hair, skin: they all crawled. O’Shea and Cruise, brothers in edgy comedy, on Tubridy’s ‘Late Late’. Whereas ‘Irish Pictorial Weekly’ feels about five years overdue, back then it should have been at

May’s elections to the European people are far more important than just a test of public opinion about the state of our national political parties. Just over 388 million voters will elect 751 members of the European Parliament (MEPs) who will play a key role in determining whether or not Social Europe can be rescued and the democratic deficit and growing alienation at the heart of the EU can be addressed. These elections are a key opportunity to bring about a fundamental change of direction and to address three interrelated crises that threaten the future of the EU: a solidarity and equality crisis, a crisis of democratic legitimacy and an environmental crisis. At the heart of the solidarity and equality crisis is the rapid increase in unemployment, poverty and inequality across the EU and the growing divergence between Member States. Economic and fiscal policies are being implemented at the expense of social policies and austerity measures are undermining and dismantling welfare states. Over six and a half million more people are living in poverty or social exclusion than in 2008: a total of 123 million people, close to one in four Europeans, in 2012. Children are at greater risk of poverty or social exclusion than adults with a rate of 27.7% against 25. %. Unemployment in the EU is 10.9% and for the first time ever, more than 25 million people are unemployed in the EU, an increase of nearly 9 million since 2008. Over 11 million people are long-term unemployed. Nearly a quarter of economically active young people are unemployed. Nearly one in five third country nationals are without a job. More and more people in employment are being forced into insecure and low paid employment. The working poor represent one third of working age adults at-risk-of-poverty. The burden of economic adjustment is destroying Social Europe and is hitting the most vulnerable groups hardest. Candidates should be committed to supporting and monitoring the implementation of the European Commission’s social investment package and, in particular, campaigning for the active implementation of the Recommendation on “Investing in Children”. All candidates should be asked to sign up to the European Manifesto, “I am a child rights champion”, launched by international and European children’s rights organisations. This calls for a political commitment to promoting children’s rights in the work of the European Parliament. Candidates should be committed to strengthening social protection systems across the EU, supporting EAPN’s campaign for an EU Directive on minimum income schemes, and working for accessible and quality public services for all. The EU’s positive track record on promoting gender equality and anti-discrimination measures must be reinvigorated. Candidates should commit to ensuring that the rights of groups such as migrants and people from a minority ethnic background are fully realised and that support for asylum seekers and refugees is enhanced, with responsibility shared more fairly across the EU. Europe faces a crisis of democratic legitimacy. The EU is increasingly viewed as being controlled by an elite that is taking decisions in the interests of the few. It is imposing austerity measures that are transforming the EU into a Europe of “them” and “us”. The lack of accountability and legitimacy is combining with a growing sense of insecurity and fear as a result of the social crisis. This is leading to a rise in Euroscepticism and a growth in racism, xenophobia, discrimination and nationalism. Not surprisingly many European citizens are turning their back on Europe because they feel Europe has let them down when they most needed it. Candidates must be committed to further strengthening the role of the European Parliament to shape legislation and to hold the European Commission and Council to account and to ensuring that the voice of civil society is heard in European policy making. Economic policies have also been increasingly applied at the expense of environmental policies. The current economic crisis is not just a fiscal crisis. It is the result of an unsustainable model of development which is based on overconsumption and results in an ever increasing ecological deficit. Yet the measures imposed to address the economic crisis are just more of the same. The latest European Commission proposals, the 2030 Framework for Climate and Energy EU2030, reflect this with their rowing back on the obligation on Member States to reach specific renewable energy targets by 2030. Candidates should be committed to revitalising Europe’s employment strategy, building a more environment and climate-friendly economy, and creating jobs through investment in thermal retrofit of housing and in sustainable energy sources. The European elections are an opportunity to demand a change of direction. It is vital we elect MEPs who are committed to addressing these three fundamental crises. Hugh Frazer

A dynamic Seanad Éireann is crucial to a dynamic democracy. The Dáil hosts less and less challenging, expert-informed debate. Since last October’s referendum, many people are coming to a realisation of the need for Seanad reform that strengthens the institution. In its current form, although some great work does get done, the Seanad is only performing to a fraction of its potential. The Government’s recent reform proposals hardly change that at all. Democracy Matters has mapped out a vision for how the Seanad can be energised through a panel system. This is what was envisaged in the 1937 Constitution, but with the six university seats drawn from the entire third-level sector and with every citizen having an opportunity to vote. We propose 43 Seanad seats being drawn from all areas of national life: an agriculture, fishing and related areas panel, an arts, language, education, culture and literature panel, a labour – organised and unorganised – panel, an industry and commerce panel, and a public administration and social services (voluntary and statutory) panel. These panels would replace the politically-loaded, unevenly-weighted, and archaic representation in the current Seanad composition. Currently some citizens have up to seven votes in Seanad elections, while the majority have no vote at all. Our proposal will not require another constitutional referendum. As a cross-political-party [and none] campaign for Seanad reform, Democracy Matters has identified a consensus emerging on a number of areas that are seen as crucial to Seanad reform. Universal citizen suffrage where one person has one vote is a must. Gender equality is an underpinning priority. People of Northern Ireland as well as diaspora citizens need to be able to vote. The Seanad should take on the central function of contributing to and scrutinising EU legislation. The Dáil, for all its strengths, demonstrates an increasing vulnerability to being swayed by Party whips to serve various kinds of political expediency. This stifles real and passionate debate. The last few years have seen a large number of Dáil resignations from ‘conscientious objectors’ to the dictats of larger parties. The proposed Seanad reforms counter this head-on. The Seanad would be a democratically elected chamber in which the aspirations of the 1937 Constitution would be realised. It would be composed of an equal number of men and women on the basis of equality, chosen by all citizens to give a real voice to aspects of our national life that are rarely heard in the present system. A reformed Seanad would make Leinster House the centre of a rich, vibrant and inclusive democracy, bringing new freshness and breadth of vision to the Oireachtas, The Seanad is already far more than a ‘talking shop’, a rubber stamp or a retirement home for failed politicians. But this cross-Party reform agenda can build its energy to become a place of lively debate, expertise and decision-making. This is not just an aspiration, it is a distinct and practical possibility. Based on the referendum, I am hopeful that we can enact Seanad reform by the end of the lifetime of this Government. We could get an agreed Bill through the Dáil in 2014, in time for a general election as early as 2015. It may be 7-10 years before we get another chance to address this issue. Democracy Matters has proposed that an all-party Task Force be designated to see a reform process through to publication of Heads of Bill. In parallel, a Seanad working group should identify and implement the procedural changes required to make the day-to-day business of the Seanad more effective and efficient. Allparty agreement should be sought for the passage of legislation in late 2014. My central hope is that the Irish people will see the relevance of this campaign and make themselves heard through their respective political affiliations at local level, so as to accelerate meaningful Seanad reform with a view to the Oireachtas becoming democratised in its entirety. Senator Katherine Zappone