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Dáil Éireann debate -
Wednesday, 27 Jun 2001

Vol. 539 No. 2

Written Answers. - Oireachtas Staffing.

Jim Mitchell

Question:

27 Mr. J. Mitchell asked the Minister for Finance if he proposes to allocate extra staff resources to Members of the Oireachtas to cope with the additional burden placed on Members to maintain records and files arising from ethics and electoral legislation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19018/01]

I acknowledge that the Ethics in Public Office Act, 1995, and the electoral Acts place a number of reporting obligations on members of the Houses in relation to, for example, making annual statements of interests and political donations and ad hoc disclosures of interests where a proximate conflict of interest arises. The Standards in Public Office Bill, 2000, the Report Stage of which will be discussed tomorrow, contains provisions which will ensure greater convenience to Members in complying with the requirements of these pieces of legislation. The Electoral (Amendment) Bill, 2000, provides for a revised donation regime which will involve additional administration for Members of the Houses. The Deputy should know that a number of the obligations arising from the ethics and electoral Acts fall not just on Members of the Houses, but also on others – for example, unsuccessful candidates in respect of donation statements under the electoral Acts and public servants and directors of state bodies in respect of statements of interests under the Ethics in Public Office Act.

The Houses of the Oireachtas are at present finalising arrangements to have carried out by consultants a comprehensive analysis of the staff resources required to service both Houses and the committees, including a review of the levels of non-Civil Service staff resources which are made available to assist Deputies and Senators in connection with their parliamentary duties. It is anticipated that this will be completed by the end of the year.
This analysis follows on from a 1999 Institute of Public Administration organisational review of the senior management structures of the Office of the Houses of the Oireachtas. A key recommendation of the IPA report was that the staff resources and grading system of the Office should be analysed and that skills and competency requirements of the Office should be clearly defined. The analysis by consultants will take account of the IPA review and will be carried out in the context of the ongoing process of reform in the public service and the specific initiatives taking place within the Houses of the Oireachtas arising from its review of its senior management structures by the IPA and the proposal to establish an Oireachtas Commission.
Until such time as the consultancy review I have mentioned has been completed, I would not be disposed to make provision for an increase in the staffing levels of the Houses.
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