Emmet Stagg (Kildare North, Labour)

——and with public administration generally; to arrange investigation of issues of urgent public importance which demand detailed and thorough investigation of the sort normally dealt with by a tribunal; and to supervise an office of parliamentary investigator.

The proposed office of parliamentary investigator would be designed to ensure timely and cost-effective investigation of issues giving rise to significant public concern. Persons would be appointed to this office on the basis of specific contracts to carry out specific investigations. They would perform functions similar to those carried out by the Comptroller and Auditor General and would have powers to secure attendance, to direct answers to questions, to direct the disclosure and production of documents, to secure evidence and to make determinations where privilege is claimed over information or documents. In general, they would take evidence in private, without legal and other representation by other parties and would prepare written reports on matters of established fact which could be used as the basis for further investigation, including in tribunals.

We propose a strengthening of the law in regard to legal costs in future tribunals. We will require that all future tribunals of inquiry be televised to the maximum extent possible. We also outlined a number of measures aimed at broadening the definition of accountability to take account of the changed nature of modern administration. Specifically, we intend to introduce new legislation which will specify the roles, functions, powers and duties of Departments and the position of the Minister in charge of each Department. In that context, we will make provision to permit the delegation of specific powers to civil servants who would, to the extent of the authority delegated to them, be accountable within the Department and directly to the Oireachtas.

Members of the House are entitled to reject unthinking criticism that would treat the Dáil as a Bills factory and Deputies as doing a nine to five job. Equally, we must accept that change is necessary to do the complex job to which Deputies are elected. Our proposals, published last October, amount to a detailed and complex package of measures, but it is a package. We are determined, and I believe we share this determination with many other Members of the Dáil, that our House should be a place that earns the trust and confidence of the people we represent.

If that is to be achieved, Dáil Éireann must be a place to which people can turn with confidence when normal accountability is needed, when legitimate grievance needs to be aired, when issues arising from public administration of concern to the public need to be investigated and when vital legislation needs to be seriously and thoroughly addressed. We are confident the measures we propose will transform the perception of Dáil Éireann and restore it to the position of public trust that is essential in our democracy. We will work as hard as possible, in collaboration with our partners in opposition, to implement them.

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