Vol. 522 No. 2
41 Mr. Quinn asked the Minister for Finance the plans if any, he has to bring forward specific proposals to provide statutory financial autonomy for each House of the Oireachtas; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14939/00]
A number of recommendations have been made in relation to Oireachtas reform in the First Report of the Parliamentary Inquiry into DIRT. These, inter alia, include proposals for the establishment of an Oireachtas commission and the determination of the Vote for the Houses of the Oireachtas independently of the Department of Finance.
The Department in its statement to the meeting of the Committee of Public Accounts Sub-Committee on Certain Revenue Matters on 20 June 2000 indicated that
"The majority of the recommendations made under Heading 7 – Parliamentary Accountability and Heading 8 – Future Parliamentary Inquiries are matters for decision by the Government. Other recommendations are for the Houses of the Oireachtas themselves. Some of the recommendations have constitutional and legal implications and the Attorney General provided advice as appropriate in the past week. It is the intention of the Department to prepare a composite response to these recommendations for consideration by the Minister as soon as possible".
