Paul McAuliffe (Dublin North West, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

It is important that we make the point to the Committee on Procedure that a failure to allow any forum for these issues to be debated will inevitably add to the debacle we have every week of additional time being sought in the Dáil Chamber to deal with these issues. The Committee on Procedure needs to be mindful that if no forum is provided, it will move the issue back to the Dáil Chamber. There is a second matter which it should consider. The Joint Oireachtas committees of the Houses have a direct relationship with officials in their line Departments and they are progressing policy. The Committee of Public Accounts has no interaction with line Departments and there is no fear or favour in that regard. The Committee on Procedure needs to consider that in regard to any failure to allow this committee to raise a matter.

I would like to make a final point in regard to an issue mentioned by Deputy Colm Burke. My recollection of what the Secretary General of the Department of Education said on this matter is that he asked for direction from the Chairman as to whether he should answer the question as it relates to the current specific issue. My recollection is not that he refused but that he asked for advice from the Chairman as to whether he should or should not answer.