Brian Lenihan Jnr (Dublin West, Fianna Fail)

He is the Secretary General of the commission or chief executive in colloquial terms. I join in the many tributes paid to the exemplary standard which he and his staff give to Members of both Houses of the Oireachtas.

I will deal with the specific points raised by Deputies. Deputy Paul McGrath outlined the work of the commission and I was glad to note he found the commission's work was popular with Members. Deputy Paul McGrath decided to explore the history of the relationship between the commission and the Minister on the provision of translation services. There is no doubt that Rannóg an Aistriúcháin always provided the translations of the Acts of the Oireachtas, but decisions of the courts in recent years and the Official Languages Act 2003 require the production of contemporaneous translation. That is a more onerous obligation than the obligation hitherto imposed on the translation service. The practical issue was addressed in a letter of comfort which was read into the record by Deputy McGrath. I noted that he was satisfied with the assurance given by the Minister for Finance in that respect.

Deputy Howlin highlighted the importance of the commission in securing the independence of Dáil Éireann. I was glad that Deputy Howlin referred to the two functions, which do not pertain to both Houses. Seanad Éireann is a legislative Chamber, but Dáil Éireann is the body to which the Government is responsible, as well as being a legislative body. In public discussion about the work of Dáil Éireann, this point is not stressed often enough. Public opinion suggests that the Dáil is simply a Legislature and that our job is to work as legislators. However, it is also the job of the Opposition Members of Dáil Éireann to hold the Executive to account. I do not think that fact is sufficiently mentioned in public debate.

I was interested in the costings given by Deputy Howlin and the fact that they compared favourably with other parliaments. I agree with him that the complex legislation on parliamentary services should be consolidated and modernised. I know the committee has looked at this matter in its deliberations.

Deputy Ó Snodaigh was dissatisfied with the representation of smaller parties on the commission, as was Deputy Boyle, who will be raising the issue on Committee Stage this evening. There is a problem here because apart from the Cathaoirleach of Seanad Éireann, the Ceann Comhairle and the nominee of the Minister for Finance, there are seven vacancies left. The only way to address the problem is to have a larger number of members on the commission. However, the commission has always seen itself as an independent body, rather like the board of directors of a company, a body that makes its own determinations about what is in the best interests of the Oireachtas. There is an issue of size in any body of that type. If the size is enlarged too much, the efficiency of the board is weakened. An attempt was made to secure balance and this will be examined in light of the results of the general election next year. A fresh dispensation will be required and an effort will be made to accommodate the representatives of all the parties. As a member of the commission, I found that the interests of all of the parties were safeguarded by the various members of the commission. There was an awareness among all the members that conflicting interests and positions existed, but that they would have to stand apart from that and make an overall judgment on the best interest of the Houses.

Deputy Ó Snodaigh also expressed dissatisfaction with the facilities available for broadcasting and for meetings by smaller parties. One of the most satisfactory aspects of the commission is the high degree of co-operation extended to it by the Office of Public Works. The OPW has treated the commission as it would treat a line Department in the Government. The OPW has always been anxious to facilitate our wishes in every possible respect. The matters raised by Deputy Ó Snodaigh should be raised, through the commission, with the OPW.

Deputy Boyle touched on the difficulty of securing adequate representation for the different interests, but he was very supportive of the commission's work, for which I thank him. Deputy Paul McGrath stressed the importance of obtaining value for money and the commission is very conscious of this. We are conscious to procure value for money in any decision we make. Deputy Nolan spoke about the extended opening hours of the Library and listed many of the commission's achievements. He made the point that the commission members had shown a genuine determination to work together. I agree with that. I can recall only one occasion where we had a vote along party lines. The one lesson to be drawn from that episode was that the leaders of the parties should never get involved in the business of the commission. If that rule is followed by party leaders, we will not have any difficulty. They should not view the representatives on the commission from their own party uniquely as representatives of their political interest. The Bill does not envisage this and all members of the commission were very conscious of their independent obligations. At all stages they were faithful to those obligations. It is a difficulty and this commission has set a good example for the future on this issue.

Deputy Ring thanked the commission for its work and paid a generous tribute to the staff of the Houses. He opined that the Minister for Finance must be very sad that he no longer controls the budget allocation for the Houses, but my experience has been to the contrary. The present Minister for Finance and his predecessor, who in many ways was the architect of this Bill, were very glad to be disembarrassed of the obligation of providing direct administration for the Houses of the Oireachtas. The Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs, Deputy Ó Cuív, recalled the legal history of the obligation to translate the Bills, while Deputy Cassidy stressed the importance of improving the facilities of the House at all stages.

This has been a very constructive debate. I wish to thank Members for their contributions. The commission can look back on the last three years as a period in which the commission has got off to a good start. There has been a solid list of achievements. "A lot done, more to do", was a phrase used around the time of the last election, but it can be applied with equal justice to the work of the commission.

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