I move:
That the amendment to Standing Order 69 of the Standing Orders relative to Public Business recommended in the Report of the Committee on Procedure and Privileges (T. 270) dated 1st May, 1985 be adopted.
This report recommends a technical amendment to Standing Order 69 which would allow the Committee on Procedure and Privileges to engage the services of consultants to assist it on particular matters. It arises directly from the report on new technology for Leinster House. One of the recommendations of the interim report of the working group of the Dáil and Seanad Committees on Procedure and Privileges on new technology was that in order to provide committees with a detailed assessment of the most suitable type of equipment, costs and staffing needs, a consultant should be engaged from whose report final decisions could be made. That report was adopted by the Seanad Committee on Procedure and Privileges and in adopting the report the committee authorised the engagement of such a consultant.
However, it is not beyond doubt that the committee is empowered to engage consultants and, accordingly, the recommendation is made that it should be put completely beyond doubt that the Committee on Procedure and Privileges has such a power. In doing so, it was thought proper that this should not be confined to the engagement of a consultant for this particular case but, in fact, there should be a clear affirmation of the power of the committee. Accordingly, the amendment is proposed to Standing Order 69. I will now quote the recommended new Standing Order:
Subject to the consent of the Minister for the Public Service, the Committee shall have power to engage the services of persons with specialist or technical knowledge to assist it in considering particular matters.
This is not likely to be used very frequently but there are instances, like the one in regard to new technology, where it is necessary to have specialist opinion in order to come to a correct decision on matters of this kind. I recommend the amendment of the Standing Order to the Seanad.
