Brendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour) | Oireachtas source

I move amendment No. 26:

In page 44, subsection (9)(d), line 18, after “commenced” to insert the following:“or, in the case of a Part 2 inquiry which is a section 15 inquiry, after section 15 applies and the committee that is to conduct the section 15 inquiry was identified but before the section 15 inquiry commenced”.

As the Chairman indicated, amendments Nos. 26 and 27 are to be taken together. These amendments are consequent on the insertion of the new section 15, again as a result of the acceptance of amendment No. 18. Amendment No. 26 allows for the insertion of a reference to a section 15 inquiry. It ensures that the Oireachtas commission will be empowered, in appropriate circumstances, to request a person to pay Part 2 inquiry legal costs, which arose after section 15 applied and once a committee had been selected to conduct a section 15 inquiry but before the inquiry had commenced. Amendment No. 27 allows for the insertion of the same reference to a section 15 inquiry regarding a direction by the Oireachtas commission to pay Part 2 inquiry expenses.