I move:
That, with effect from 1st November, 1995, until further notice in the 27th Dáil, the following be adopted in substitution for Standing Order 33 of the Standing Orders of Dáil Éireann relative to Public Business:—
`33. The Ceann Comhairle shall examine every Question in order to ensure that its purpose is to elicit information upon or to elucidate matters of fact or of policy, that it is as brief as possible, that it does not seek information provided within the preceding four months in the case of Questions for oral reply or provided within the preceding two weeks in the case of Questions for written reply, and that it contains no argument or personal imputation. The Ceann Comhairle, or the Clerk under his authority, may amend any Question, after consultation with the member responsible for the Question, to secure its compliance with Standing Orders.'."
This motion proposes, in effect, that the repeat rule for written parliamentary questions should be reduced from the present four months to two weeks, for a trial period. No change is proposed in respect of oral questions.
All Members will readily agree that parliamentary questions are an essential element of democracy. Members can ensure that members of the Government are accountable to the Dáil for their actions. It is worth reminding Members that, in 1992, it was calculated to cost approximately £64 to provide the answer to each parliamentary question. Obviously that cost is higher at today's salary levels. Just out of curiosity, I examined yesterday's Order Paper. There were 56 oral questions and 160 written questions, a total of 216 questions. Taking the 1992 costing per question, that gives a total of £13,824 as the cost of answering the parliamentary questions just for one day. I leave it to the mathematicians to calculate the annual cost.
Members, therefore, have a responsibility not to abuse the system of parliamentary questions. For example, repetitious or mischievous questions that could be easily answered by a telephone call to the relevant Minister's office or Government Department, should be avoided.
The Government's policy document —A Government of Renewal— states. among other things, that the Government will make the Dáil more efficient, businesslike and provide accountability and transparency. Members will recall that most of the Government's proposals relating to Oireachtas Reform as set out in its policy documents were approved by the House in March. Relaxing the repeat rule for written questions is another tangible example of the Government's commitment to its policy of accountability and transparency. Members will know the Government will very shortly propose a comprehensive package of measures to implement the stated policy to improve the proceedings of this House. This package will be the result of intensive consultation. In that context, I pay a particular tribute to the Fianna Fáil Party which published its Dáil reform proposals in June. I assure Deputies that the Government is actively considering those and other proposals and the resultant package will reflect that consideration.
It is crucial to the effective functioning of a democracy that the rules and procedures of the Houses of Parliament must facilitate the constructive input by each and every Member of the House. Members must feel that they have rightful and meaningful participation in the parliamentary process. The committee system, whereby we now have legislation committees of the Dáil, have enhanced that input. The committee rooms are less intimidating. They promote exchange and dialogue rather than the expected inevitable conflict. Even though a Deputy may not be a member of a particular committee, there is nothing to prevent him or her attending the committee and participating in the debate on a Bill. The development of the committees mean that the time constraints of the past whereby the guillotine was frequently employed to bulldoze legislation through, is now, happily a thing of the past.
The committees, while they have certainly created more work for the individual Members, have undoubtedly also more than compensated by way of a feeling of fulfilment and participation. The arrival of the TV camera to the Chamber and to the committee rooms has given rise to the need for other procedural developments or modifications.
Certainly Parliament has shown a capacity and a willingness to adapt and accommodate. It is an evolutionary process, however, that must be helped along. That is the reason I look forward to the publication of the Government's proposals, which as the Taoiseach said in the House yesterday, and again today will be available in the very near future.
As the motion says this proposal to amend Standing Order No. 33 is for a trial period. During that time I, as Government Chief Whip, the Government and you, a Cheann Comhairle, will be reviewing its operation to see if it is producing efficiency in the running of the House and to ensure it is not being abused by Members.
Members should be aware that if this relaxation is abused by continually putting down the same question or asking other Members to do so, it may be ruled out of order, at the discretion of the Ceann Comhairle. There may also be an element of misusing public funds considering the stated costs of parliamentary questions. If any abuse becomes obvious the Government will, reluctantly, propose revoking this amendment. Hopefully, that will not arise and Members will use the relaxation in the spirit of openness and transparency in which it is intended.
There have also been representations to extend the relaxation rule to oral questions. That is the subject matter of an amendment from Fianna Fáil. However, we cannot accept this because answering oral questions is substantially different from answering written questions. For example, oral questions involve Dáil time, which is scarce and expensive and requires a great deal of briefing and preparing replies for members of the Government compared with written questions.
We might await the outcome of experience with the relaxation of the rule relating to written questions and we will take matters from there. This matter has been referred by the Committee on Procedure and Privileges to one of its subcommittees and it would be prudent to leave further discussions on it to the subcommittee.
The adoption of this amendment will dramatically reduce the administative burden on the officials dealing with parliamentary questions in the Houses of the Oireachtas and Government Departments. The time involved in checking and cross-checking whether a parliamentary question is a repeat is incalculable. Considering the number of questions put down each week the Dáil sits, it is obvious that such checking requires a high number of man hours which could be used more productively.
I am assured by the officials of the Houses of the Oireachtas that the passing of this motion and the consequent reduction of the administrative burden will result in decisions being made earlier on other questions. I am sure that will be generally welcomed, particularly in relation to whether these questions are relevant. This will result in a significant net gain for all Members and Government Departments. For all the reasons stated, I commend this motion to the House.