McDAID'S DAIL RECORD IMPROVES

CONTROVERSIAL Fianna Fail TD Jim McDaid's voting record this year is almost as bad as it was last year.

Dr McDaid was criticised last week after the Irish Independent revealed that he missed more than four out of every five Dail votes in 2009 , by far the worst record of any TD.



And he has missed nearly 80 % of votes taken in the Dail so far this year -- but this is a slight improvement on 2009.

Dr McDaid pointed out last week that the power granted to the State's 166 TDs to make laws is of "unparalleled importance" -- yet he was frequently missing for votes on legislation.

The Donegal North East deputy had an attendance rate of 17 % for 2009 -- and his record for this year so far is only 22 %.

Among the important votes Dr McDaid missed was the final passage of the Finance Bill giving legal effect to the December Budget, which cut the pay of public sector workers.

He also missed a vote last week on whether there should be a by-election in his neighbouring constituency of Donegal South West.

Sinn Fein tabled the motion calling for the by-election and the Government opposed it.

The constituency has been down one TD since Pat 'The Cope' Gallagher was elected to the European Parliament last June. The Dail vote was tied at 76-76, forcing Ceann Comhairle Seamus Kirk to use his casting vote to ensure the Government did not lose.

Dr McDaid was also absent for the February procedural vote on the 2010 budget estimates when Mr Kirk also had to use his casting vote. It was the first time since the 1980s that a Dail vote has been tied.

Dr McDaid missed the confidence vote on former defence minister Willie O'Dea -- but he was present for two votes on a Fine Gael bill calling for ministerial pensions for sitting TDs to be scrapped .

Last month Dr McDaid attended his first Oireachtas committee in five years. Previous roll calls showed he had an attendance rate of 30pc between June 2007 and September 2008.

He was present for only 4 % of Dail votes in 2005.

Fine Gael Wexford TD Michael D'Arcy remarked that Dr McDaid seems to "come and go as he pleases".

"The primary role of anyone who gets to Dail Eireann is to consider and vote on legislation," Mr D'Arcy said.