New proposals to allow Oireachtas members to tweet from the Dail and Seanad chambers have been drafted by the Oireachtas Committee on Procedure and Privileges.
Mobile phones are officially banned in both houses, although a viewing of Leader’s Questions any given morning will soon put paid to the assumption that this ban is adhered to religiously by the country’s political representatives.
Fine Gael senator Paschal Donohoe welcomed the development, saying that following on from US President Barack Obama encouraging his cabinet team to tweet it was a “welcome sign that Leinster House is catching up with the White House”.
Donohoe, who uses both Facebook and Twitter, said that tweeting, Facebook and blogging provide a new way of communicating with the electorate, particularly young voters.
“This change will allow Oireachtas members to update those interested in their work and contributions in Leinster House. I hope that this will encourage members from both Houses of the Oireachtas and all parties to embrace these technologies. They work for the White House. Maybe they can work for Leinster House too,” he said.
Photo: Leinster House
Article courtesy of Businessandleadership.com