Legislative Programme.

Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 29 September 2004

Wednesday, 29 September 2004

Ceisteanna (1135, 1136)

John Gormley

Ceist:

1316 Mr. Gormley asked the Minister for Social and Family Affairs the number of pieces of legislation that have been drafted outside the Office of the Attorney General by solicitors since the 2002 general election; the cost to date of the out-sourcing of the drafting of legislation; if legislation has had to be corrected subsequently in many cases; the Bills which are currently being drafted by firms of solicitors; the legislation she intends to out-source this term; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [21835/04]

Pat Rabbitte

Ceist:

1355 Mr. Rabbitte asked the Minister for Social and Family Affairs if the approval of the Attorney General was sought by her Department in regard to the subcontracting out to private firms of the drafting of legislation; the number of occasions on which such consent was given; if the Attorney General is satisfied with the drafting of legislation outside of her office; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22727/04]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister for Social and Family Affairs (Mary Coughlan)

I propose to take Questions Nos. 1316 and 1355 together.

Legislation governing amendments and additions to the social welfare code are drafted by my Department's legislation unit, in consultation with the Parliamentary Counsel from the Office of the Attorney General. Since the formation of the 29th Dáil in 2002, no legislation, governing functions for which I have responsibility, has been drafted by agents outside my Department.

However, due to the technical and specialist nature of pensions legislation, there is an on-going agreement between my Department and the Office of the Attorney General to the out-sourcing of certain work in this area. This was the approach taken in the preparation of the Pensions (Amendment) Act 2002. As part of that process, outline draft legislation was produced and was submitted in the normal way to the Office of the Attorney General for drafting.

At this time I have no intention to use external bodies to draft future legislation. However, should the need arise to engage external expertise where the legislation required is of a particularly technical and specialist nature, I will seek the most effective and efficient means of doing so.