The Irish general election took place six weeks ago and the politicians have set a new record for delay in forming a government. They should ponder the record-breaking papal election which took place in central Italy during the middle ages.

Medieval Rome was an unpleasant place, beset by plague and public disturbance to the point where the Roman curia took to residing outside the city altogether. Clement the Fourth died on 29 November 1268 at Viterbo, about 100km north of Rome, which had become a regular papal residence by the thirteenth century.

The cardinals duly assembled there to choose a successor and took almost three years, until September 1271, to complete the task, setting a record for the longest-ever papal conclave.

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The cardinals, three of whom expired before the conclusion of their deliberations, could not agree on a successor to Clement: some favoured a French candidate, some an Italian and none seemed in any hurry to make a decision.

Several European monarchs sought to influence the outcome and contributed to the delay. At one stage the cardinals were visited by one Philip Benizi, head of the Servite Order, who rebuked them for the endless indecision. They responded by offering to select Philip but the canny Servite disappeared, not wishing to assume office.

The townspeople eventually lost patience and locked the cardinals into the palace where they were meeting. This is the origin of the term ‘‘conclave’’ from the Latin con clavis, which means ‘‘with a key’’.

Locking the doors did not have the desired effect so they removed the roof of the building, exposing the prelates to the elements and to the direct gaze of the Holy Spirit. This move also failed to produce a result so they upped the ante, reducing food rations for the dilatory cardinals.

This worked just fine as their eminences promptly chose a new pope, not one of their number, who took the name of Gregory the Tenth on his return from fighting with the Crusades.

Gregory proceeded to change the rules governing the selection of popes to avoid a repetition of the scandalous delay in his own selection.

Gregory’s new rules required that the cardinal electors be isolated from the outside world throughout their deliberations, the better to avoid outside interference. He stipulated that rations be reduced to one meal per day after the third day of a conclave, and to bread and water after eight.

The cardinals were also deprived of any payments from church funds until they produced a result. Papal elections have become notably snappier in the centuries since: it took just two days in 2013 to select Pope Francis.

The leisurely process of government formation is the responsibility of the 158 Dáil deputies, many of whom look as uninterested in office as the fleeing Servite of Viterbo. Of the four main national parties, Sinn Féin and Labour have announced their preference for opposition and Fianna Fáil seem to be doing the same.

The independents and mini-parties appear to want ministries without signing up for government. All of them prattle on endlessly about the need for political reform.

Perhaps the first item on the reform agenda should be the adoption of rules along the lines of those introduced by Gregory the Tenth. It could take a constitutional referendum to give effect to the main changes but they would prove popular with the voters.

The first would be the isolation of the deputies from all communication with the outside world until they had formed a government, with mobile phones confiscated. All radio and TV current affairs programmes would be cancelled and householders would receive a rebate of the TV licence fee for the duration. All political reporters would be sent on compulsory holidays at public expense.

Pope Gregory’s proposals for meal arrangements seem reasonable: full meals for two days only, one meal a day for another six and then bread and water. The Dáil bar would be padlocked.

A particularly attractive proposal from Pope Gregory’s successful scheme would be the pay arrangements: no salaries until the TDs come up with a result. The money saved would defray the cost of holidays for political reporters, balancing the books.

Isolation

Leinster House is not an ideal venue for starving politicians into doing their duty – there are too many restaurants close by and the security arrangements are focused on keeping undesirables out rather than in.