13 Feabh 2014, 17:19
The Committee of Public Accounts today, 13th February, changed its stance on issue relating to the provision of a transcript of its private meeting with the Garda whistle-blower following receipt of further legal and procedural clarification from senior officials from the Houses of the Oireachtas Service.
Given the wider implications for all Oireachtas Committees of publishing transcripts of private meetings, the Committee had decided last week not to publish a transcript. However a number of issues, including the ability of the Committee to produce a report on the cancellations of fixed fines, were raised today and, arising from that, it was decided to refer a number of matters about the transcript to the Dáil Committee on Procedure and Privileges (CPP).
Chairman of the Committee, John McGuinness TD outlined that the Committee could not produce a transcript of its private meetings as the matter required the approval of the Dáil CPP.
Deputy McGuiness said: “As the issue is wider than just the question of the evidence of the Garda whistle-blower to the PAC, it was agreed that the CPP should examine the issue of a transcript of a private meeting being made available to a witness and I have asked that this be done as soon as possible.
In addition, the whole question of whether Members of a Committee can get access to the transcripts of private meetings in order, for example, to prepare a report with findings and recommendations will have to be dealt with.”
The Chairman added that a protocol may have to be adopted by all Oireachtas Committees in this area, especially with the introduction of whistle-blower legislation which could see many more Committees taking evidence in private session as whistle-blowers come forward.
Deputy McGuinness said: “It is important to have certainty on this issue and it just so happened that the PAC dealt with this procedural and legal issue first and, over time, the Oireachtas will have to have rules and protocols which protect witnesses while enabling Committees to get on with their work.”
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Committee of Public Accounts Membership
John McGuinness (Chairman)
Kieran O’Donnell (Vice Chairman)
Paul J Connaughton,
John Deasy,
Áine Collins
Gerald Nash,
Simon Harris,
Robert Dowds,
Mary Lou McDonald,
Sean Fleming,
Eoghan Murphy,
Derek Nolan,
Shane Ross.