I move to insert after the word " orders " in line 40 the words " relative to private business."
SECTION 3.
(1) The Chairman of the Joint Committee of Dáil Eireann and Seanad Eireann on standing orders relative to private business may prepare a list of such charges as it shall appear to him that parliamentary agents, attorneys, solicitors, and others may justly make with reference to the several matters comprised in such list.
(2) The several charges specified in the list prepared pursuant to the foregoing sub-section shall be the utmost charges to be allowed upon the taxation by the taxing officer of the Oireachtas of a bill of costs, charges, and expenses in respect of the several matters specified in such list.
(3) The taxing officer of the Oireachtas may on any taxation allow all fair and reasonable costs, charges, and expenses in respect of any matters not included in the list prepared pursuant to this section.
There is a question of principle in this section which is of some importance, as to whether the Chairman is a fit person to make that list. I am not sure whether it would not be wiser to provide some person other than the Chairman to make it. The Speaker of the House of Commons does it on the other side.
He does it on the advice of his Counsel, and the proper person to advise here would be the Taxing Officer we are going to appoint.
If this Bill passes as it stands, I would get the Chief Clerk of the Private Bill Office to consult with the Taxing Officer in these matters and make a draft, and get some independent lawyer, like Senator Brown, to go through it. If the sums were reasonably correct, I would make it.
That is regarding costs ?
Yes, by the Parliamentary agent against his own client. There is a scale in England which is rather more extravagant than we want.
You cannot adopt the English scale in its entirety, because we have got rid of certain stages here. The only way to change this sub-Section would be to substitute the Committee itself for the Chairman.
Perhaps that would be more satisfactory to the Dáil. But whoever does it will have to do it on technical advice. I would be inclined to leave it as it is.
Have we not a Standing Joint Committee ?
Yes, Mr. Douglas is Chairman, and we have an equal number of members from the Dáil, including the Ceann Comhairle of that House, and the Chairman of the Seanad.
No, they are not on it. They came only on special invitation.
Let it stand, and see if any amendment is suggested. I do not think there will be any objection to it.
Whoever does it, it will be done in the same way.
Very well : are there any suggestions regarding sub-Section 2 and 3 ?
Is not the Taxing Officer of the Oireachtas defined somewhere ?— Oh, yes, it is in Section 7.
There is no one appointed ?
No ; there is provision for the appointment.
These two sub-Sections seem all right.
Question : " That Section 3, as amended, stand part of the Bill " put and agreed.