I move:
(1) That a Committee to be known as the Liaison Committee be established, consisting of the Chairperson of each Oireachtas Joint Committee, Select and Special Committee of either House of the Oireachtas.
(2) That the Liaison Committee may consider matters affecting services to Oireachtas Committees generally, may liaise and consult on matters of common interest to Committee Chairpersons, and shall make recommendations in relation to:
(i) apportionment of moneys available to Committees for consultancy and travel;
(ii) allocation of accommodation available for Committee meetings; and
(iii) any other matter which may be referred to the Committee from time to time.
This Order was passed by the other House on Tuesday, 1 March 1994, without debate. Its purpose is to establish a Liaison Committee on a formal basis. The committee has been operating in an informal way for a number of years and it has become more important with the emergence of many new committees. The committee consists of the chairpersons of all the committees of both Houses of the Oireachtas and has very important business to undertake. It allocates budgets for travel and makes arrangements for committee meetings. Its functions are set out in the Order before the House.
I wish to put on record our appreciation for the work that is done in these committees, and in particular the work done by the chairpersons of the committees. It is important, however, that in establishing the committees consideration should be given to appointing the maximum possible number of Members of this House. I refer in particular to the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Foreign Affairs on which, out of 30 Members, there are merely five Members of this House. It would be timely to correct that imbalance and I note that the membership of other joint committees is shared on a 50-50 basis between Deputies and Senators. I would recommend that in appointing Members to such committees in future — especially the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Foreign Affairs — there should be more representation for Members of this House. This is an important development that formalises what has been done informally for a number of years. It is a welcome Order and I commend it to the House.
