Bernard Allen (Cork North Central, Fine Gael)

The Supreme Court judgment on the Abbeylara inquiry has had a profound and serious effect on the effectiveness of Oireachtas committees. The Committee of Public Accounts, which I chair, is seriously handicapped in its deliberations on the performance of Departments. For example, in our interim report on the State agency FÁS, published in February 2009, we could not say what we really wanted to say because of the constraints placed on our committee by the Abbeylara judgment. We have had many examples since in other State agencies where we could not say what we wished to say. My committee and others have sought stronger powers. The only way we can get them is through a referendum, which would give greater powers to Oireachtas committees. If we are serious about avoiding tribunals in future and giving real voice to Oireachtas committees, we must have a referendum to deal with the serious Supreme Court decision on Abbeylara. In any future set of referenda that may occur, will the Taoiseach consider the question of the effectiveness of the powers of Oireachtas committees?

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