Joint Committee on Small Business and Services.
(1) That it is expedient that a Joint Committee of both Houses of the Oireachtas, which shall be called the Joint Committee on Small Business and Services, be appointed consisting of 15 Members of Dáil Éireann and four members of Seanad Éireann to examine and report to both Houses of the Oireachtas with its recommendations on how to improve the operating environment for small business and services, and in particular by:
(i) reviewing policies directed at the development of the small business and services sector;
(ii) examining assistance by the State agencies to ensure that it is directed at raising the capabilities of the small business and services sector;
(iii) examining the costs arising from compliance with legally imposed requirements;
(iv) examining all new legislation and Ministerial Orders to ensure that they do not impose unnecessary costs and administrative burdens on small business and services;
(v) examining the financing that is available to small business and services to ensure that it is adequate and appropriate;
(vi) hearing the views of small business and services providers and their representative associations; and
(vii) examining the North/South dimension for small business and services.
The Joint Committee shall present its final report within two years of the date of the order appointing the Joint Committee.
(2) That the Joint Committee shall have the power to appoint sub-Committees and to delegate any matter comprehended by paragraph (1) to a sub-Committee.
(3) That the Joint Committee and each sub-Committee, previous to the commencement of business, shall elect one of its members to be Chairperson, who shall have only one vote.
(4) That all questions in the Joint Committee and in each sub-Committee shall be determined by a majority of votes of the members present and voting and in the event of there being an equality of votes, the question shall be decided in the negative.
(5) That the quorum of the Joint Committee shall be five, and the quorum of each sub-Committee shall be a number to be decided by the sub-Committee when such sub-Committee is appointed.
(6) That provision be made for the appointment of substitutes to act for members of the Joint Committee or of a sub-Committee who are unable to attend particular meetings.
(7) That Members of the Oireachtas, not being members of the Joint Committee, may attend meetings and take part in the proceedings of the Joint Committee and of its sub-Committees without having a right to vote.
(8) That the Joint Committee shall have the power to send for persons, papers and records and, subject to the consent of the Minister for Finance, to engage the services of persons with specialist or technical knowledge to assist it or any of its sub-Committees in their consideration of any matter comprehended by paragraph (1).
(9) That the Joint Committee shall have power to print and publish from time to time minutes of evidence taken before it together with such related documents as it thinks fit.
(10) That the Joint Committee or a sub-Committee thereof may invite submissions in writing, if considered necessary by the Committee or sub-Committee, as may be appropriate, from interested persons or bodies on any matter comprehended by paragraph (1).
(11) That no document received by the Clerk to the Joint Committee or a sub-Committee thereof shall be withheld, withdrawn or altered without the knowledge and approval of the Committee or sub-Committee, as may be appropriate.
(12) That every report which the Joint Committee proposes to make shall, on adoption by the Joint Committee, be laid before both Houses of the Oireachtas forthwith, together with any document relating thereto which the Joint Committee proposes to publish, whereupon the Joint Committee shall be empowered to print and publish such report and the said document or documents, as the case may be.
(13) That the Joint Committee shall have the power to discuss and draft proposals for legislative changes and new legislation for recommendation to Ministers which are relevant to the matters comprehended by paragraph (1).
(14) That all appointees to high office in the State shall attend meetings of the Joint Committee, as appropriate, and subject to the legal constraints of their office, to discuss issues which are relevant to the matters comprehended by paragraph (1).
(15) That Ministers and Ministers of State shall appear before the Joint Committee to discuss current policies relevant to the matters comprehended by paragraph (1) and the implementation of such policies in their Departments. A Minister or Minister of State may request the Joint Committee to convene to enable him or her to explain current or proposed policy or to initiate a debate thereon."