Catherine Connolly (Galway West, Independent)
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Some Chairmen are coming under pressure from the press because of how it is being interpreted. It might be helpful to do this on a more regular basis. I thank the witnesses for setting out the functions of the Houses of the Oireachtas Commission. The efforts to make Parliament more accessible are very welcome. I would like to know more about the key performance indicators, to use the jargon we have learned from the Comptroller and Auditor General, that will be used as efforts are made to make Parliament more effective. Money messages come to mind, but we will leave that matter for another day. However, I welcome the efforts being made to make Parliament more effective and open. Oireachtas TV has been an eye-opener for me. Many people watch it. We are empowering people and it is money well spent. Those who watch Oireachtas TV can see for themselves what is going on in their Parliament without having to rely on social media. It is important for them to be able to learn directly.

Before I refer to specific legal cases, I thank the staff on the ground. If the Houses of the Oireachtas Commission is to learn anything, it must listen to the staff on the ground. When I leave here, my abiding memory will be of the ushers. Any visitor I have ever brought to the Oireachtas has spoken about them and the staff in the restaurants. They sell the Dáil to the people and us. In addition to officials like Mr. Finnegan, they made us comfortable from day one. If Oireachtas officials are to avoid misunderstandings and cases in the future, they should listen to people from the bottom up. There should be a mechanism for reporting issues that are arising and the things happening on the ground. That would help to improve matters.

I would like to ask about the extraordinary amounts paid out in compensation and on legal cases. I am referring to note 6 on page 25 of the briefing documentation. Will Mr. Finnegan explain why there were legal costs of €547,000 for six claims by employees and three by members of the public and that no legal fees were awarded? I am looking for clarification in that regard.