THE people who run Leinster House believe they have a problem. The Dail and the Seanad get bad press. A communications strategy has been devised to deal with this issue. In recent weeks a team of public-relations advisors from Murray Consultants has been contacted to advise on a new three-year communications strategy. One of the outcomes will be the creation of a new position to oversee the implementation of the strategy. The new head of communications will be backed by additional staff and other resources. But the problems in Leinster House are not communications related. The approach being followed is all about style with no evidence that substance is getting a look in. So as the Oireachtas enters its summer slumber, five easy steps to deliver a feelgood factor for the Dail and Seanad:

1 Parliament should work more days and longer hours. A summer recess from early July to the end of September is bound to increase negativity. No top-notch head of communications is going to negate the public's collective jawdropping disbelief at how little time TDs spend passing legislation.

2 The issues that people are talking about . . . and which concern them . . . are generally not relevant under Dail standing orders. Allow matters of public interest to be raised in the Dail chamber. Be more flexible and people may have reason to take notice.

3 Lose the siege mentality and open up the Leinster House complex to the public. Take down the railings separating the various national institutions . . . parliament, library, gallery and two museums . . . remove the car parking and have an open-plan green area that the public can use at both the Kildare Street and Merrion Street sides of the complex.

4 Remind RTE about its commitments in return for the compulsory license fee and force the national broadcaster to bring its political coverage in from the margins of transmission times. Only the news junkies stay awake for Oireachtas Report at midnight and The Week in Politics in its latenight Sunday slot. And while we're at it . . . with the arrival of digital TV . . . lets have a dedicated channel broadcasting proceedings from the Dail, Seanad and the various committees.

5 Bring in non-political people to advise on how parliament could work better . . . and don't pay them a euro.

Progress can be achieved without lucrative contracts for consultants.

Ryanmaking moves onRossport?

BERNARD Durkan of Fine Gael may have been hoping to find out more about the exciting life of a government minister when he questioned Eamon Ryan last week about his diary since his cabinet appointment. On the basis of Ryan's response, FG would seem to be missing out on little as it maintains its traditional role as the main opposition party. "I met the chairperson and CEO of the ESB on 20 June. I also attended, and addressed briefly, the meeting of the Irish Energy Research Council on 20 June 2007. I attended a Sustainable Energy Ireland social function on 21 June. I met with the chairperson of the RTE Authority on 26 June.

Finally, I attended a social function to mark the 10th anniversary of the establishment of the Commission for Communications Regulation on 27 June, " Ryan replied. Hardly rock and roll but there was more.

The new minister also met with BT Ireland and, interestingly, with those associated with the Corrib gas pipeline. "I have met the developers of the project and have also had some informal discussions with individuals who are interested in the project, " he said.

Is Ryan about to make Rossport no more?

BILLY Kelleher looked like a man who was finally enjoying himself last week. And after 15 years in the Oireachtas . . . the last five spent in the demanding position of assistant government whip . . . Kelleher has every reason to be satisfied with his appointment as Minister for Labour Affairs. Unfortunately, his obvious pleasure at having a real job has not carried over into his enthusiasm for giving the rest of us an extra day off work. It was Kelleher's department's turn to answer Dail questions last week and the new junior minister was asked about Ireland having almost the lowest number of public holidays in the European Union. But the Corkman was not interested in the national wellbeing. He read his civil-service brief with gusto: "Among the matters to be considered would be the impact of any such increase in public holidays on the competitiveness of firms, in particular, in relation to small and medium enterprises with smaller workforces, and in terms of output and the impact on employment." Maybe by the time the Dail comes back in the autumn he'll have changed his mind.

O Cuiv snubs language charter Hundred of millions of euro are spent on the Irish language every year. Every effort has been made to promote use of the language . . . students who take their exams in Irish are give extra marks, applicants for state jobs are awarded additional points in selection assessments if they can speak Irish and many official documents are translated to ensure Irish-language versions are available.

Yet still the language is a minority affair, not that the government wants to admit as much. Gaeltacht affairs minister Eamon O Cuiv has decided not to sign or ratify the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. The charter is apparently not considered a suitable mechanism for the promotion and protection of the Irish language.

So instead, millions more will be spent without a whimper about the real national return.