Vol. 540 No. 1
81 Mr. B. Hayes asked the Minister for the Environment and Local Government the total costs involved in funding the work of the Referendum Commission; his plans to provide a permanent secretariat for the commission; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17003/01]
99 Mr. Noonan asked the Minister for the Environment and Local Government if he plans to change the role, remit or budget of the Referendum Commission; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17628/01]
I propose to take Questions Nos. 81 and 99 together.
The Referendum Commission was allocated £1 million in respect of the referendum on the Abolition of the Death Penalty, a further £1 million in respect of the referendum on the International Criminal Court and £2.5 million in respect of the referendum on the Treaty of Nice. I am not in a position at present to provide a breakdown of actual expenditure incurred in relation to these referendums as the commission is still processing payments arising from its information campaigns. I understand, however, that the commission completed its tasks within budget. The commission will provide a report to me within six months of carrying outs its functions and this will include a detailed breakdown of expenditures. The cost of previous referendums were, Amsterdam, £2.2 million; Northern Ireland Agreement, £2.1 million and Local Government, £0.6 million.
In accordance with arrangements authorised by the Department of Finance, the Office of the Ombudsman holds five posts on a permanent basis which are temporarily redeployed to form the Commission's Secretariat for the duration of a referendum information campaign. This arrangement applied also on this occasion.
I have no proposals at present to amend the Referendum Act, 1998 but I will keep the matter under review in the light of the reports of the Referendum Commission on the recent and previous referendums.
Question No. 82 answered with Question No. 68.
