Peter Kelly (Longford-Westmeath, Fianna Fail)

I am proud to have served on the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Arts, Sport, Tourism, Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs from 2002 to 2007 and to have been a member of the Oireachtas Committee on Communications, Marine and Natural Resources. Over the years, a number of initiatives have been taken with regard to committees. The number of committees has increased, their role and remit has been extended and they now bring before them far more external bodies. The committee system has expanded since its beginning in 1984 when only a few committees existed.

Committees play an important role as they advise on a wide range of legislative, social, economic and financial business. As well as this, committees also process the legislation and the examination of Government expenditure. In recent years, the setting up of a well organised system of joint committees has resulted in Deputies having additional opportunities to participate to an even greater extent in specialised parliamentary work in the areas of foreign affairs, European affairs, the Irish language — as Gaeilge, State enterprise, women's rights, family matters, sustainable development and small business and services. Any Member who believes that committees are only debating chambers is incorrect in his or her assertion.

The Joint Committee on Arts, Sport, Tourism, Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs, of which I was a member, discussed many and varied topics. They ranged from issues such as the National Gallery of Ireland to a discussion on rural development strategy. In order for committees to perform their role effectively, it is important for Members, individually and collectively, to keep in touch with community views and the effects on people of legislative and Government action.

There should be effective promotion of the work of committees. One of the main reasons there should be a better connection between the community and the work of committees is the desire to produce better inquiries and reports which encompass the views of those affected by Government activity as well as those of specialist groups. The second aim is to draw people more into the practical workings of the democratic processes to help them understand the role and value of the parliamentary institutions in society.

One of the key tasks of Members of Parliament is to feed into the parliamentary process the opinions and needs of the community they represent. Their very jobs depend on their ability to hear, understand and interpret the views of the electorate. In order to produce the best possible analysis and recommendations, committees need to encompass not only the views of experts but those of the wider community.

Committees now constitute a major part of the Oireachtas framework. The structure of the existing system allows for a more flexible and transparent approach to scrutiny outside of the more formal platforms of the Dáil and Seanad Chambers. Members of committees avail of the opportunity that the committee system gives to them to engage publicly on many issues. It also offers the opportunity to improve access by the public to the Houses and committees. People need to understand that the Dáil is there to work for them and to help them re-engage with the democratic processes. The work of committees can play an important part in this.

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