Pádraig Mac Lochlainn (Donegal North East, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

We are sitting as a joint sub-committee on petitions to record the decisions of the committee. The committee has received a total of 137 petitions to date since the launch of the petitions system. The secretariat has been examining them, first, to establish the admissibility of the petitions and, second, to assess how best to progress a petition for consideration by the joint sub-committee. A total of 126 of the petitions received have been brought before the committee on at least one occasion. Of these, the committee has disposed of 95; 53 were admissible, dealt with and closed, while 42 were inadmissible. There are five petitions to be discussed today and two further petitions to read correspondence into the record.

The first petition before us is No. P00062/12 of 2012, which is Enda Kenny and the Irish Government: Introduce Equality Budgeting, from Dr. Clara Fischer. The Equality Budgeting Campaign is a broad-based coalition of trade unions, non-governmental organisations, NGOs, and concerned individuals who are seeking the introduction of equality budgeting in Ireland. The campaign was founded in July 2012 in light of increases in inequality and poverty. This petition was discussed at meetings on 27 November 2013 and again on 22 January 2014, and the petitioner addressed the committee on 2 April 2014. This group also met with the Joint Committee on Education and Social Protection in 2014, whose report is noted in the committee's summary document.

We have agreed that we will write to the Department of Finance attaching a copy of the petition and requesting that in view of the proposal within the Department to set up a budget office, this committee would urge the Minister to establish an equality budget advisory group which could be made up of officials and representatives working in this sector and stating that we support the objectives in the petition. We will also write to the petitioner advising of the decision of the committee and close the petition. Is that agreed? Agreed.

Petition No. P00015/13 relates to extending the Freedom of Information Acts to include the Data Protection Commissioner and the Financial Services Ombudsman. The petitioner is Mr. Niall Kelly. The petitioner is calling for the Office of the Data Protection Commissioner and the Financial Services Ombudsman to come under the provisions of the Freedom of Information Acts. The joint sub-committee considered this petition at its meeting on 22 January 2014 and it was then referred to the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform, recommending that the Minister fully include the Financial Services Ombudsman and the Data Protection Commissioner in the freedom of information legislation which he was preparing. As the Freedom of Information Bill was enacted on 14 October 2014 and both the Financial Services Ombudsman and the Data Protection Commissioner are now included under its remit, it is proposed that we forward a copy of the correspondence received and a link to the Freedom of Information Act 2014 to the petitioner and close the petition. We also noted that there are some caveats there that might limit the oversight and if that is the case, we will keep an eye on this into the future. Is that agreed? Agreed.

Petition No. P00024/13 relates to recruitment policy within RTE from Mr. Kevin Sharkey. This is a decision on which a previous meeting of this committee deliberated in private session and it was to be read into the record in public session, which we are doing now. The petition was about a perceived policy that within RTE the station only employed white people. The petitioner would like to see a more diverse RTE, with the station hiring people based on what they can do, not the colour of their skin. The committee discussed this petition on 25 March following research and e-mails from the petitioner. I forwarded the material and the response received from RTE to the petitioner and closed the petition. We understand that the petitioner is happy that the issues he raised have been addressed, so it is a satisfactory outcome. Is that agreed? Agreed.

Petition No. P00012/14 calls for a sworn inquiry into the appointment of two senior planning inspectors to the board of An Bord Pleanála. It is from Mr. Jim Connolly. The petitioner is calling for an independent inquiry into the appointment of two senior planning inspectors to the board of An Bord Pleanála in January 2002. He is claiming there was alleged collusion by the chairman of An Bord Pleanála, senior officials of the Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government, ICTU, IMPACT and a Government Minister to allow the appointments to be made in the first place. This issue was discussed in 2008 by the Joint Committee on the Environment with the Irish Rural Dwellers Association, IRDA, and also with the then Minister. The Minister outlined the nominating and appointments process and stated that these had only recently been endorsed by the Oireachtas. Furthermore, it appears from transcripts of this meeting that no follow-up action was recommended.

This was discussed by this committee on 25 March this year and it was agreed to write to the petitioner asking him to identify clearly where the Minister breached the legislation.

A response was received by e-mail, which was forwarded to members.