asked the Minister for Finance whether he is prepared to introduce legislation to make provision for the holding of an annual public investigation into the affairs of all State and semi-State companies or corporations, at which members of the public would be entitled to obtain information and to have complaints investigated concerning the running of such companies or corporations.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - State and Semi-State Companies.
The Deputy's suggestion that members of the public should have an unlimited right of investigation into the affairs of State or semi-State companies or corporations is obviously unworkable. Members of the public affected by the operations of these bodies must delegate the right of investigation to individuals selected in some orderly manner, for if any considerable number of them turned up to an annual public investigation it would cause complete chaos.
The people of the State have already, through our Constitution, provided a workable system by which they can elect their representatives and establish a Government to ensure that their interests are safeguarded in relation to the operations of State and semi-State bodies.
Most of the bodies concerned have been set up under special legislation of the Oireachtas and provision is made for the proper auditing and publication of accounts and usually for their presentation to Dáil Éireann. In several cases, provision is also made for the publication of an annual report.
Apart from questions being raised directly with the companies or in the Press by members of the public, it is open to Deputies to move the amendment or repeal of existing legislation in regard to the various bodies or to bring to the notice of the Minister concerned any aspect of their operations which might be considered prejudicial to the public interest.
There is the further safeguard that all these bodies are managed by responsible boards of directors, appointed by the Government or a Minister of State who must satisfy themselves as to the proper conduct of the affairs of such bodies. Their accounts are audited by the Comptroller and Auditor-General or other competent auditors, and have to pass the various stringent tests necessarily imposed by such auditing.
Does the Minister not consider that it would be well for the efficiency of such semi-State corporations that there should be some system of annual public investigation?
What the Deputy suggested was that the members of the public should be entitled to attend an annual investigation. If, for instance, any considerable number of the few million people affected by the operations of the Electricity Supply Board turned up at an annual investigation, how could they do any work?
In the same way as any public inquiry set up by the Oireachtas can be attended by any member of the public who wants to make a request. In practice, only those actively interested come there.
I think it would be an impossible system.
That is the Russian system anyway.
Rome has spoken.
We have the Russian system here, because investigations into the affairs of these companies take place behind closed doors.