Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I move amendment No. 25:

In page 41, subsection (1), line 29, to delete "Oireachtas Commission" and substitute "Independent Judicial Panel".

The issue here is around costs and who decides whether a witness will have costs. As we all know, the legal costs for these kinds of matters can be astronomical and can be used as a weapon in unscrupulous hands. Even the threat of somebody having to get the services of a senior counsel and put himself or herself under huge financial pressure and risk can be a very effective and unpleasant threat. I would like the Minister to first walk us through how this will work and then I will outline my concern about it.