Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Tuesday, 13 Oct 1992

Vol. 423 No. 4

Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Staff Shortages.

Proinsias De Rossa

Ceist:

7 Proinsias De Rossa asked the Taoiseach if his attention has been drawn to the evidence given to the meeting of the Committee on Public Accounts on 9 July 1992, of the serious staff shortages in the Office of the Attorney General, as a result of which two retired barristers had to be recruited to assist the parliamentary drafting section; if it is intended to recruit additional permanent staff to speed up the drafting of legislation; and if he will make a statement on the matter.

The Taoiseach

Sanction has been given for the recruitment of two additional Parliamentary Draftsmen and it is planned to hold the necessary competition within the next few weeks. I am satisfied that these appointments will ameliorate the problem which was mentioned at the meeting of the Public Accounts Committee. The two barristers referred to in the Deputy's question had formerly occupied the positions of head of the Parliamentary Draftsman's office and head of the Statute Law Reform and Consolidation office, in the Attorney General's office. Their unequalled experience—each has had some 40 years experience as a draftsman—has meant that in addition to current drafting work they have been available to train more recently recruited staff and this is of considerable benefit to the State's drafting service.

Proinsias De Rossa

My purpose in putting down this question was not in any way to criticise the competence of the barristers concerned but simply to clarify what precisely is the Government's policy in relation to the drafting section. For the ten years I have been in this House I have been constantly told that there is a backlog of work in the drafting office. Will the Taoiseach indicate how many people are currently employed full-time in the Attorney General's drafting office? Does he consider that the appointment of two additional personnel will be sufficient to deal with the backlog that exists?

The Taoiseach

The total number at present employed is eight — six permanent staff and the two persons I have just referred to. When those two new appointments are filled it will bring the strength of this office to ten, the highest number of draftsmen in the history of this office.