Pat Rabbitte (Dublin South West, Labour)

I am happy to support the remarks made last evening by my colleague, Deputy Higgins, and the modest reforms contained in this Fine Gael Bill. It is important that we introduce more transparency and accountability into public appointments and into how such public bodies are required to account for the discharge of their functions.

When asked to deputise for my colleague, Deputy Penrose, who is at the ploughing championship, it occurred to me that it might not be a bad thing if we started with the Parliament. It is a matter of regret that the package of reforms submitted by the Oireachtas commission to the Minister for Finance for approval earlier this year has not been implemented in full. This morning, this matter was addressed by the Chief Whip, the Minister of State at the Department of the Taoiseach, Deputy Pat Carey, who made it plain that the Government has no intention of cutting back on the number of Oireachtas committees. As the Leas-Cheann Comhairle will recall, the commission proposed that the number of committees be reduced from 23 to 15. The Minister for Finance, Deputy Brian Lenihan, elegantly sidestepped this issue in his Budget Statement when he implied that the number of committees was a matter for the commission but that he, of course, supported a reduction. It is not a matter for the commission. Rather, it is a matter for the Taoiseach and the Minister. It is plain that neither supports a reduction.

It is all very well and fair for the Chief Whip to take the opportunity to point out that there have been reforms in this regard. For example, the stipends for vice chairmen and convenors have been abolished, the stipends for chairmen have been halved and staff levels have been cut. However, the number of committees remains the same. A House of 166 Members cannot support a network of 23 committees. The Government persists with this number for the same reason for which they were designed by Deputy Bertie Ahern in the first instance, that is, they are a convenient reward for disappointed would-be officeholders.

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