Oireachtas Committee on Investigations, Oversight and Petitions to hear from the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform on the powers proposed to be conferred on the Oireachtas to conduct in-depth inquiries

Cathaoirleach of the Committee, Peadar Tóibín TD, said: “The proposal that the Oireachtas should have express constitutional power to undertake in-depth inquiries, exercised through its committee system, is the most significant Oireachtas reform in modern times. 

Power to conduct in-depth inquiries, to require any person to attend before the Inquiry Committee to answer questions, aided by the power to compel disclosure of relevant information and production of documents as necessary for the purpose of the inquiry, will potentially change the balance of power between the Oireachtas and the Executive.

Experience has shown that mere requests for information during an Oireachtas committee investigation are often to no avail, and information that is volunteered is not always accurate or complete. In such circumstances the Oireachtas is left without the information it needs to carry out its legislative and accountability function effectively. So some means of compelling disclosure is required.

Our Committee, as the designated Oversight Committee under the proposed legislation, will have an extremely important role in relation to Oireachtas inquiries if the proposed constitutional amendment is approved by the electorate in the forthcoming referendum. We will have to give careful consideration to such questions as - What are Oireachtas inquiries meant for? Which type of matters should be inquired into? How will the constitutional rights of witnesses and others affected by Oireachtas inquiries be safeguarded in the exercise of the new powers? How will the public interest test be applied?

We look forward to discussing these matters with the Minister at our meeting tomorrow.”

This meeting will take place on Wednesday, 14th September, in Committee Room 3, Leinster House 2000 at 3pm.

Committee proceedings can be followed live at:
http://www.oireachtas.ie/ViewDoc.asp?fn=/documents/livewebcast/Web-Live.htm&CatID=83&m=o

For further information please contact:

Ciaran Brennan,
Houses of the Oireachtas,
Communications Unit,
Leinster House,
Dublin 2

P: +3531 618 3903
M: 086-0496518
F: +3531 618 4551

Committee Membership

Membership

Dara Calleary, TD
Joan Collins, TD
Michael Conaghan, TD
Alan Farrell, TD
Charles Flanagan, TD
Michael Healy-Rae, TD
Peter Matthews, TD
Michael McCarthy, TD
Charlie McConalogue, TD
Michelle Mulherin, TD
Derek Nolan, TD
Aengus Ó Snodaigh, TD
John Paul Phelan, TD
Peadar Tóibín, TD
Mick Wallace, TD

Senators

Trevor Ó Clochartaigh,
Jimmy Harte,
Tony Mulcahy,
Darragh O’Brien,
Susan O Keeffe.

Note to Editors
1. The proposed amendment is based on the report and recommendations of the Joint Committee on the Constitution, published in January 2011, following an in-depth review of the parliamentary power of inquiry. The Committee found that, because of constitutional limitations, the Oireachtas has much less powers to hold in-depth investigations into public policy administration and governmental business than its international equivalents. The Committee recommended that the Constitution be amended to expressly authorise the Houses of the Oireachtas to conduct inquiries into matters of general public importance.

Report can be found at: http://www.oireachtas.ie/viewdoc.asp?DocID=17508&CatID=78

2. The motion to set up a Committee of Inquiry will require the prior approval of the Houses of the Oireachtas.

3. The Oireachtas Investigations, Oversight and Petitions Committee will be the designated ‘Oversight Committee’ under the new inquiry arrangements if the proposed amendment is approved in the referendum.