Brian Stanley (Laois-Offaly, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

My views on Standing Order 218 are well known. I agree with what has been said about it imposing a stricture on us. There are two issues with the Standing Order.

One interpretation is that it is there to prevent us from discussing matters that should properly be before another committee, such as the health or justice committees. That is fair enough. From my perspective as Chairman, I do not want to get involved in some kind of jostling match with the Chairmen of other committees or the committees themselves. I am sure members are reasonable enough to know that there is no need for us to do that and that there are capable people on all the committees across the Houses. That is one interpretation. There is a procedure, where that needs to be adjudicated on, to send a request to the Committee on Procedure. This is what we have been told legally. There would be a turnaround time of a week. I understand that this in the Standing Orders of the Committee on Procedure, which is welcome enough in itself.

However, there is a bigger issue. We have had witnesses before committee meetings, including Secretaries General, where things were completely free-flowing and there were no objections to asking any questions about anything. In fact, I and other members asked one Secretary General not just about the past but the present. We also discussed the future with him. He was very forthcoming, which is his style. I also know that in the case of other witnesses, I had to intervene to tell them they had to answer the question. It can be used to close down questioning from members. I do not want to preside over meetings like that. It puts me in a difficult position and it restricts things. I am not completely au faitwith that particular issue but from members are saying here, I take it that this problem has popped up and we need to try to circumvent and deal with it. The Deputy is correct. This committee is the one that will be restricted. Constitutionally, the Committee of Public Accounts is the one place where we can bring people before us to get answers, to discuss and analyse what is going on and to issue reports. It is important that we do not restrict that.