Dáil Éireann debate -
Thursday, 14 May 1925

Vol. 11 No. 14

REPORT OF SESSIONAL COMMITTEE OF SELECTION.

Mr. SEARS

I beg to move the tenth report of the Sessional Committee of Selection, which is as follows:—

The Committee met on Wednesday, 13th May, 1925, for the purpose of nominating twelve Deputies to serve on the Committee of Public Accounts for the year 1925-6.

The Committee made the following nominations:— Deputies P.J. Egan, McCullough, Lavin, Roddy, Broder-O'Connell, Cooper, Hewat, and Esmonde.

A vacancy exists on the Sessional Committee of Selection, owing to the resignation of Deputy P.O hAodha, Minister for Defence. The Committee request the Dáil to fill this vacancy.

(Signed),

William Sears, Chairman.

Mr. ESMONDE

Is this Committee which has been appointed entitled to go into various matters arising on the report of the last Committee in reference to the accounts of the old Dáil? Is it the intention of the Government to propose that we should give them that power?

Mr. BLYTHE

That is a matter on which communication will be made to the Committee. The Government may either propose to the Dáil to agree to that, or it may state reasons why it should not be done. The usual practice elsewhere in connection with recommendations of the Committee of Public Accounts is that a Minute is prepared dealing with the various matters, and further action can then be taken when there is an opportunity of considering that Minute.

Mr. JOHNSON

I submit that the appointment of the subsequent Committee is not the occasion for discussing the report of the last Committee. I ask that the presentation of the report to the Committee would not depend upon the receipt of the comments of the Ministry upon that report. It may be desirable as a matter of convenience that there should be a little delay to permit of these comments, but the comments will be submitted, I assume, to the Committee to be appointed, whereas the report that has been made is a report to the House, and the House should have an opportunity of, at least, commenting upon and discussing the report, without any necessary judgment being given until the report of the Minister, or of his Department, has been made public. I mean to say, that the report of the Committee is a report to the House. The comments of the Department upon that report are to be submitted to this Committee which is now to be appointed. One should not depend on the other.

Mr. BLYTHE

No. As I understand, ordinarily the report of the Public Accounts Committee is not discussed except some Deputy puts down a motion arising out of something which he finds in the report. As this is the first report of the Public Accounts Committee, and as there is not, perhaps, a very wide appreciation of the work done by that Committee, it may be very desirable that there should be something in the nature of a discussion at large in the present instance, but, normally, I think the discussion should be on some definite proposal, that the Dáil should take some action, or express some opinion on some point raised by the report of the Committee.

Mr. JOHNSON

The Minister may be right but the practice in the British House of Commons has, I understand, been rather that a motion is moved that the report of the Committee of Public Accounts be considered, and it is then left open for discussion whether there is any recommendation in the Report or not. There need not be a definite motion in respect to any recommendation in the Report, but it is open for discussion in the House, and that is the important thing.

Mr. BLYTHE

I am looking into the matter of practice, and if it is as Deputy Johnson says opportunity will be given at a very early date. Deputy Johnson is right in saying that consideration of the matters raised on the report is quite independent of the comments made by the Ministry of Finance to the next Committee.

Motion put and agreed to.

Mr. SEARS

With regard to the vacancy on the Committee of Selection, if it is convenient to the Dáil to fill that vacancy now, I beg to move that the name of Sir James Craig be added to the Committee.

Mr. CONNOR HOGAN

I beg to second.

Motion put and agreed to.