Frank Feighan (Roscommon-South Leitrim, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

The delegates stated they are seeking more funding to produce a policy framework to progress a bill of rights. From whom do they intend to seek that funding and what exactly do they envisage in terms of how such funding would be used?

On the issue of technical expertise, I absolutely agree with the points made. There is a view that politicians should come from the Law Library or from county families. In fact, most of us do not come from a technical background and have little expertise in dealing with Bills and associated matters. In politics, as in life, we have a lot of issues to deal with.

This bill of rights is a technical, legal document but if the parties engaged with the witnesses, and this committee might be helpful in that regard also, that technical expertise could be put in layman's terms, which would provide a clearer explanation. Decisions can be taken sometimes to park such documents somewhere, and that could be the issue. The witnesses might elaborate on that.