TWICE in recent weeks, time has been given over in the Dail for discussion of two important national subjects. A fortnight ago, the various party leaders delivered speeches on Northern Ireland with particular emphasis on the terms of the St Andrews Agreements. Then last Thursday a recent report from the Oireachtas Health Committee was the platform for a discussion on suicide.

There were worthy contributions on both subjects from a collection of deputies.

The discussion on suicide was particularly measured and did credit to all the speakers who took part.

Labour's Liz McManus observed that few TDs in the course of their constituency work had not encountered families whose lives had been blighted by the suicide of a loved one. Fine Gael's Liam Twomey recalled a contribution at the Health Committee when members were "told of a five-year-old child discovering his father hanging in the garage. That will never leave that young boy. Those left behind often spend the rest of their lives asking questions of time, if something they said led to this catastrophic event for the family."

Weaknesses in the government's approach were highlighted although overall there was broad agreement on the approach needed to meet the target of reducing the national suicide rate by 20% by 2016. The current figures are startling. There are on average about 450 deaths by suicide every year in Ireland, with higher rates among young people, especially men in their 20s and early 30s.

There was, however, one singular element missing from the suicide debate (and it was also evident a week previously when Northern Ireland was discussed) . . . the Dail session was not a debate. The various contributors read out pre-prepared scripts while no questions were asked of the relevant government minister.

In the absence of an exchange of ideas, the TDs could just as easily have emailed their speeches to the parliamentary debates offices for inclusion in the official record of the day.

A great disservice is done to the reputation of the Oireachtas due to the way the current rules of engagements are framed in Leinster House. The various set-pieces, weekly sessions, including leaders' questions and the order of business, allow little room for discussion on matters of public concern.

The Dail simply doesn't do contemporary. The situation is not helped by the current ceann comhairle Rory O'Hanlon who seems to have an inclination to shut out the opposition in a protectiveness of the government that often appears to verge on partisan. This is not an argument in favour of a free-for-all in the Dail chamber. However, all sides would benefit from less reliance on past precedent and greater openness to flexibility in allowing topical matters to reach the floor of the chamber with real debate.

The Oireachtas needs to be relevant, but at the moment it often works in a parallel universe with fewer and fewer people taking notice.

The renewed speculation that David Trimble may throw his political lot in with David Cameron's Conservatives raises the prospect that the former Ulster Unionist leader would be reunited with Steven King, one of his old advisers. King is currently communications director at the Policy Exchange, a Cameron-leaning research institute which was recently named 'think tank of the year'. Trimble (LEFT), the Nobel laureate who was turfed out by his own, now sits in the House of Lords and, by all accounts, listens to plenty of music by German composer Richard Wagner.

Wicklow constituency ruck just one of a number brewing BYall accounts there were some angry phone calls in Fianna Fail circles in Wicklow following last weekend's report in this newspaper that the party had sought to parachute former rugby international Shane Byrne into the constituency as an election candidate. Two local councillors, Pat Casey in Glendalough and Pat Doran in Arklow, have ambitions to join Dick Roche on the ticket. Supporters of the two councillors were none too pleased to discover that a search was underway for a high-profile alternative.

The closeness of the election may now be to the advantage of the two men as time is running out for lastminute parachutes.

Interestingly, it's not just in Wicklow that the party hierarchy has missed its own summer deadline for finalising candidate lineups. Over the coming weeks announcements are expected in Donegal North East (what to do about Jim McDaid? ), Dublin North East (Michael Woods looks set to run again), Dublin West (a running mate for Brian Lenihan), Cork South West (a replacement for the departing Joe Walsh) and Cavan-Monaghan (is barrister Hugh Mohan acceptable to the local organisation? ).

The party is also still contemplating the merits of a third candidate in Dublin South Central and whether to seek a replacement for Jim Glennon in Dublin North, where two other candidates have already been selected. And then once all those decisions are made the very touchy issue of what to do about the three-candidate strategy in the Taoiseach's Dublin Central constituency?

Electoral logic suggests either Mary Fitzpatrick or Cyprian Brady will have to be dropped if FF is to hold two seats. But is Ahern prepared for a mighty big row in his own backyard?