Susan O'Keeffe (Labour)
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I appreciate the Deputy's concern about the matter being dismissed. However, we have had other petitions before the committee in which a decision was made not to deal with them on the basis that there had not been any prior engagement with another body in order to seek redress or explanation. The decision is based on the committee’s Standing Orders. I understand that if a petitioner has not taken any other action and the matter is not taken up, there is an option for him or her to come back to the committee following an attempt to seek redress in another forum. The petitioner in question did not do that. It is important to remind anyone who is interested in sending a petition to us that the Standing Orders oblige us to ask people what other action they have taken. In the case in question, no other action had been taken. It is not the case that the petition was dismissed because the committee did not consider it to be valid or because the content of it was not important. We all agree that it is important.