Lisa Chambers (Mayo, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank Mr. Drennan and all of his team for attending the committee here today. It is most helpful and appreciated and it will assist us in our work. We met for over two hours just before the ODCE's attendance here to discuss the document and the ODCE's submission. We had quite a robust exchange and the majority of members want to see that document in the public domain in the public interest and that is very much supported by the Chairman. I was persuaded by Mr. Drennan's argument that as a committee, we would be unable to reach fact-based and evidence-based conclusions in our pre-legislative scrutiny work without having sight of that document in its entirety. I found that to be a highly persuasive argument from someone who is an officer of the State, having served for a number of years in his role and having considerable experience. That particular advice from Mr. Drennan was quite persuasive. We may have challenges, as the ODCE probably will be aware. The issue around the status of the document, were it to be circulated to committee members, as opposed to through the clerk, was identified and the ODCE is aware of that also. I would be eager to see that go to the clerk and be circulated. The ODCE probably also will be aware that we could have difficulties, in that it is likely that it would be referred to the Office of the Parliamentary Legal Adviser and there could be some blockages there. We certainly will do our best, however, in the public interest to get all relevant information to the public, so I thank the ODCE for that.

On the necessary information to which the ODCE refers and the information it says members need to do their work of pre-legislative scrutiny, can the witnesses give us some idea as to what that information is? I understand the restrictions in giving out that information but can the witnesses give us some broad parameters as to what we might be looking at and what we are missing while we are doing our work? Can Mr. Drennan give an opinion on whether any of the information he seeks to provide might prejudice him in his current role?

Could Mr. Drennan articulate why he says we need the information he was seeking to provide in order for us to perform our parliamentary duty of pre-legislative scrutiny of this Bill?