Aengus Ó Snodaigh (Dublin South Central, Sinn Fein)

Tá sé tábhachtach sula dtosóimid ag cur coistí nua ar bun sa téarma Dála seo, agus nuair a bheidh an Seanad ann, go bhféachaimid ar choistí i gcoitinne agus conas is féidir athruithe a dhéanamh. Is é sin an príomhrud; mura bhfuil rud ag obair i gceart, caithfear díriú isteach air agus déanamh cinnte de go bhfuil athruithe curtha i bhfeidhm a léireoidh don domhan go bhfuilimid sásta féachaint chun é a athrú agus go bhfuilimid sásta foghlaim ó bhotúin a bhí nó atá á ndéanamh againn.

Sa mhéid sin, aontaím leis an Teachta Lenihan nuair a deir sé gur chóir go mbeadh go leor coistí ann chun gnó na Dála a dhéanamh, ach go háirithe coistí a chuirtear ar bun atá cothromach leis na Ranna Stáit. Níl mé a rá go bhfuil gá le 15 ceann acu ann ach ba chóir go mbeadh timpeall ar an méid sin ann dá mbeadh 15 Aire ann.

Níl aon ghá, áfach, le níos mó ná sin. Sa Dáil dheireananch, cuireadh coistí ar bun nach raibh brí nó feidhm ar bith acu. Bhí mise ar cheann acu, the Joint Administration Committee. Bhí obair an choiste sin a déanamh ag Coimisiúin Thithe an Oireachtais, an CCP agus coiste na nAoirí. Bhí ceithre choiste ag déileáil leis an stuif chéanna. Bhí sin tubaisteach mar ní raibh a fhios ag aon duine cé bhí i gceannas sa chás sin.

I began by welcoming the debate on committees. Originally, when the idea was mooted by the Government Whip, the Minister of State, Deputy Kehoe, I stated it would be a waste of a few hours in the Dáil if we had an open-ended debate about committees. Having thought about it since, I think it is important that we discuss the committees. Even though many of the Members have not enjoyed the experience of committee or have not been involved in committees, it is important that we learn from their perception of committees in the Dáil. We always need to learn from our mistakes or, at least, how to do things better.

As I stated, I was a member of quite a number of committees. One of them was the Joint Administration Committee and I explained that it was one of those committees that should not have been established. I was probably one of the most frequent attenders at committee meetings because as a Member from a small party, I was a Whip, I was on the Dáil reform committee, the CPP, the Joint Administration Committee and the Joint Committee on European Scrutiny.

See this speech in context