Brendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour)

None of us can guarantee our security regarding the forthcoming election.

People may believe the commission has been overly generous to itself so I would like to make some points in that regard. The €393 million provided for is to allow this House do play its constitutional role as watchdog, holding the Government to account. In real terms that figure will represent 0.23% of overall Government expenditure next year and the Houses of the Oireachtas does more than hold the Government to account; it also generates legislation. To put it in context, less than a quarter of 1% of expenditure is assigned to us. In percentage terms this compares favourably to parliaments anywhere one cares to look.

We must be more forceful in the job we do and less apologetic about spending public money. Those of us privileged to examine developing companies, as I have, understand that creating stable accounting mechanisms is one of the most crucial factors, along with a proper, functioning public accounts system and Comptroller and Auditor General system and the holding to account of Departments. Officials in every Department regard our public accounts system as a real measure of accountability and it is important not only that it continues to be effective, but that it is augmented in its effectiveness.

In terms of financial management generally, the commission's success has helped bring about developments such as the new research, Library and support facilities augmenting the committee system. This has been done prudently, because the committee did not squander the money it received in the first allocation three years ago. It could have front loaded the expenditure and gone back to the Minister for Finance seeking more funding but it did not. In fact the commission came in under budget in its three years showing it to be a prudent manager of resources properly voted to it by this House.

The Secretary General of the Oireachtas is accountable to the Committee of Public Accounts, a development I welcome, and I look forward to his first presentation before the commission early next year.

Members of the commission have had a unique insight into the workings of support staff here. Those of us privileged to work on the commission have seen how effective and efficient civil servants of all grades provide support in these buildings. Those of us who have dealt with the Bills Office and the other offices in the House know the remarkable work done there. I do not know how they work through the night on complicated legislation aggregating and grouping amendments, but they do so in a wonderful way.

If the commission is to be independent it must have a modern system of administration. I hope a parliamentary services Bill will come before the next Dáil to examine the legal structure for administration, as has been done in developed parliaments such as Australia's. An Act from 1959 governs the administrative structure here and this needs to be updated. Could the progressive Minister of State in charge of the Bill signal that a parliamentary services Bill is something he could consider in a future administration?

I support the amendment that is a manifestation of the will of the House expressed nearly a year ago in the Committee on Procedure and Privileges sub-committee report that was adopted unanimously. I hope the formula we have arrived at on a cross party basis will serve the House, the Members and the interests of democracy. I hope this Bill passes quickly tonight and I compliment all involved in the first term of office of the commission which was exploratory and ground breaking. I hope the next phase of the commission, whomsoever its membership comprises of, will be ever more successful in developing a strong role scrutinising our Parliament, holding the Executive to account and serving the people even better than the Oireachtas has to date.

See this speech in context