Houses of the Oireachtas Commission Publishes Annual Report

With its continuing focus on the delivery of services more efficiently and effectively and ensuring value for the use of taxpayers’ money, the cost of running the Houses in 2013 was €4.6 million less than in 2012.

In 2013, the cost of running the Houses was €101 million. This was 10% below budget with significant savings having been achieved in line with the Commission’s aim of doing better with less.

There was a reduction in the of civil service staff employed in the Service. The number of staff was 379 which is 59 (11%) fewer than the number sanctioned by the Commission in 2008. There were corresponding payroll savings associated with the reduction in staff numbers.

Last year saw increased levels of activity across the services and operations of the Houses. Many areas of business continued upward trends, including house sittings, committee meetings, bills presented and public petitions received.

Supporting the sittings of the Houses and their Committees during 2012 encompassed:

•    123 Dáil sittings (1,023 sitting hours)
•    111 Seanad sittings (722 sitting hours)
•    580 Committee meetings (1,130 sitting hours)
•    20 Committee Reports published
•    140 Bills published as initiated
•    52 Acts passed by the Houses
•    4,988 amendments tabled to Bills
•    129 Bill reprints as a result of amendment by both Houses
•    50,926 Parliamentary Questions processed

A particular highlight in 2013 was the hosting of the parliamentary dimension of the EU Presidency in the first six months of the year. Over the six months of the Presidency, our committees led a series of EU inter-parliamentary conferences and meetings and welcomed more than 1500 parliamentarians from other EU national parliaments and from the European Parliament.

Read the report here.

Media Enquiries to:

Ciaran Brennan,
Houses of the Oireachtas,
Communications Unit,
Leinster House,
Dublin 2

P: +3531 618 3903
M: 086-0496518
F: +3531 618 4551