On a point of order, now that the joint committee is in public session, will the Chairman make a statement to the committee given his comments last weekend and now that he has effectively resigned as his party's spokesperson on education but remains in place as the Chairman of this committee and has no difficulty taking the substantial payment that goes with it? I raise this issue in public session because I believe the Chairman has an obligation to inform this committee as to his intentions, whether he is likely to remain in place as Chairman of this committee, given the fact that he has spoken about his opposition to Government policy on education and has also moved away from his party since his resignation from that post. With the greatest degree of respect, the Chairman needs to put on record at the earliest possible juncture whether he intends to remain as Chairman of this committee.
Business of Joint Committee.
I support the comments made by my colleague in the Fine Gael Party. We regard the Chairman as a conduit to Government for this committee. His party is a partner in the Government and he was previously the spokesperson on education. It is an issue of enormous importance, as he has readily admitted. I would like him to indicate what his status is now vis-à-vis his colleagues in government, his party, his role as the chairperson of this committee and in being an informal conduit of information and communication between this committee and the Department of Education and the Government?
In the first instance, I would say that the issue does not arise. My performance and duties as Chairman of this Oireachtas committee bear no relationship to my spokespersonship or non-spokespersonship on education within the Green Party. As such, under normal circumstances, I would not comment on the issue. However, given the large presence of members of the media, whom I hope will stay for the entire deliberations of the committee because important work is being carried out by it, I wish to put on record, purely out of courtesy to members of my party who may have been misinformed through certain reports, that any resignation I tendered as education spokesperson for the Green Party, Comhaontas Glas, was an internal Green Party matter. It did not relate to any genuine outrage I feel over education cuts or any concerns I have about the education budget. It was purely related to a motion passed at our convention which made my position as education spokesperson unworkable. That is the sole reason.
It is also the case that there is no precedent that the Chairman of an Oireachtas committee should be a spokesperson for his or her party. This has not been the case in most instances. There is no relationship between the two. I am carrying out my duties as Chairman in an impartial manner, which means that members of the Fine Gael and Labour Parties, visiting members of the Sinn Féin delegation as well as members of Government parties have always got a fair, honest and transparent opportunity to raise valid issues. I am sure no one will question that.
Having made that brief statement, I would like to continue with the work of this committee. My duty as Chairman, in being a conduit between this committee and Government, necessitates that I do not take a party political position in carrying out my duties as Chairman. Therefore, the issue does not arise.
I want to make it absolutely clear, on my part and on behalf of my party, that there is no question about the Deputy's competence as the Chairman of this committee. He has been a fair and competent Chairman and has been particularly fair to all the members. That is not in question. However, the fact is that the Chairman is here as a representative of his party. He was put on this committee because the Green Party is entitled to have one member of its party on this committee, as I understand it. The Deputy was put on it on the basis that he was his party's spokesperson on education. With that went the considerable responsibility of being chairperson of this committee. I believe the Deputy will find himself in an invidious position now that, on one hand, he speaks against the Government and against his party in terms of some internal matter and, on the other, he is prepared to take all the benefits and cache that comes with being in government. That is an incongruous position in which the Chairman finds himself and it is one which, at some stage in the future, he will have to resolve for himself. The committee sees the Chairman, Deputy Gogarty, as the Green Party spokesperson and as a representative of the Government. Speaking out of both sides of his mouth at the same time is something he will have to come to terms with at some stage soon.
On a point of order, there is an agenda for today's proceedings. Given that we have guests at the meeting, I would consider this a matter for the any other business part of the meeting.
I appreciate that. I have no intention of proceeding further with the matter. I wished to put it on record and the Chairman gave me the opportunity to do so.
Given the fact that we have guests——
I would normally agree with you, Senator. However, for cynical reasons of political opportunism and populism, the members opposite have decided to bring up this issue, which has no relevance because it is an internal party matter. As a matter of courtesy and public interest, I have allowed them to continue. Having listened again to Deputy Hayes, I must reiterate that my non-role as education spokesperson bears no relation to my appointment as Chairman of this committee.
I object to the fact that this committee meeting is now being directed on the basis that the media are present rather than by the agenda that was set for it. We have guests from all over the country but we are now running the meeting on the basis that the media are present so there should be a political squabble. That is not to the benefit of any of the members of the education committee and it shows, in one respect, where the priority of this meeting lies at present.
The Senator is on dangerous ground if she looks at her colleagues on either side of her.
Withdraw that statement, Deputy Quinn.
There is one member of the Fianna Fáil Party, one member of the Labour Party and five members of the Fine Gael Party present.
I am here for a meeting with the committee's guests.
This item bears no relation to the work of the committee. It is purely based on media speculation. However, knowing the speculation and Opposition jibes will continue as to whether this is appropriate tenure, I have allowed it. I believe I have made my position clear. I appreciate the fact that you clarified that I carry out my role with integrity, competence and fairness. I intend to continue doing that. If at some stage I resign from the Green Party or I resign as education spokesperson or there are any other technical grounds, the issue might arise but, as it stands, it does not arise. I intend to allow no further debate on the issue. I have given the Deputy the opportunity to make his point and it is now on the public record. The media will report it as they see fit. We have visitors, as Senator Keaveney said. I am sorry to have delayed them on this insubstantial matter. We will proceed with the meeting.