A team of leading academics are to grade the country’s political parties on their plans on reforming politics.

Reformcard will evaluate proposals under five key headings and 25 indicators before marking each party out of 100.



The results will be published after manifestos are made public on www.reformcard.com.



The initiative was developed by researchers Joseph Curtin and Johnny Ryan, whose findings will be verified by a panel of academics from the country’s top universities.



Mr Ryan said Ireland’s economic crisis exposed the malfunctioning of the political system and triggered

agreement that how politics works must change.



“But how politics should change provokes vigorous debate,” he said.



“We hope that Reformcard can help inform the decision making process and contribute to debate.” Judging academics include Trinity’s Dr Elaine Byrne; Prof David Farrell of University College Dublin; Dr Eoin O’Malley and Prof Gary Murphy, Dublin City University; Dr Jane Suiter, Dr Theresa Reidy, and Dr Clodagh Harris, University College Cork; and Matt Wall from the University of Amsterdam.