asked the Minister for Industry and Energy if the Government have yet drawn up proposals for reform of Dáil procedures; when the proposals will be laid before the Dáil; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
Written Answers. - Dáil Reform.
353.
As the Deputy will appreciate, the reform of Dáil procedures is an ongoing process. Progress must be based on worthwhile and viable proposals and the achievement of consensus in the House on their implementation. The initial stage of this process took place here in January and February last in the form of a valuable debate on the issue of Dáil reform.
One of the priorities for reform of Dail procedures specified in the Programme for Government is the extension of our committee system. As the Deputy will be aware, on 27 May 1983, I announced the first phase of our committee proposals, which essentially involved the re-establishment of five Oireachtas Committees. The second phase in the extension of our committee system was intiated on 21 June 1983 involving the establishment of five completely new Oireachtas Committees. Of these new committees, the Dáil Committee on Public Expenditure has been formally established. Orders establishing the Joint Committee on Legislation and the Joint Committee on small Business were made in the Dáil on 6 July 1983 and motions for similar orders are on today's Seanad Order Paper. The expediency motions for the remaining two committees (the Joint Committe on Marriage Breakdown and the Joint Committee on Women's Rights) have now been passed by both Houses and motions to establish them appear on today's Dáil Order Paper.
Two of the new committees, the Public Expenditure and Legislation Committees will, through the medium of public hearings, considerably enhance the perception of the role of the Dáil and Deputies in general and committee work in particular. An open mandate will be given to the Dáil Committee on Public Expenditure to investigate any area of ongoing public expenditure and to recommend cost effective alternatives consistent with Government policy. The Legislation Committee will, in addition to its primary function of producing a written record of public opinion on Bills or legislative proposals referred to it, also examine the operations of non-commercial State-sponsored bodies.
Another priority in the Programme for Government is the reform of procedures for dealing with Estimates in the House. I am preparing detailed proposals in this area which will, hopefully, lead to a more meaningful debate of Estimates as they come before the House. I have in mind that the new format of debate will be implemented initially on an experimental basis but it is of course essential that the new format incorporates a revised financial procedure whereby Estimates are debated in this House before, rather than after, the moneys involved are committed or spent.
In so far as broadcasting of the proceedings of the Oireachtas is concerned, I recently discussed this matter with the Director General of RTE and raised it at the Committee on Procedure and Privileges. It is my intention that work of the new committees should be broadcast in addition to some of the plenary sessions of the Dáil.
In addition to this, I and the Government Chief Whip, have jointly tabled for discussion at the Committee on Procedure and Privileges a number of procedural reforms which are the subject of ongoing discussions.
I believe that the measures that I have outlined in the areas of Estimates, public expenditure, legislations, as well as the various procedural items which are before the Committee on Procedure and Privileges, represent significant initial progress in dealing with the various concerns which have been expressed by Deputies regarding existing procedures in this House. I should emphasise, however, that if the Deputy, or indeed any other Deputies in the House, wishes to make further suggestions to me in this area, I will be very pleased to receive them.