Kevin Humphreys (Dublin South East, Labour) | Oireachtas source

I wish to share time with Deputies Seán Kyne and Eoghan Murphy.

I thank the previous contributor. I wonder how far we would have got without that poster "Kangaroo Court - No Thanks". There has been a delay in carrying out a proper inquiry. The result of the referendum was unfortunate and if it had been otherwise, we would be much further down the road. I do not think the Government has delayed bringing forward legislation.

I thank the Minister for Public Enterprise and Reform, Deputy Brendan Howlin, and his staff for their work in the drafting of the Bill which is a key part of the broader reform agenda being driven by the Minister. The package of legislative change covers freedom of information, whistleblower legislation and the regulation of lobbying. I congratulate the work of the Minister and the Minister of State, Deputy Brian Hayes. Transparency, ethics, justice, responsibility and efficient public services are the key goals to be achieved to ensure the mistakes of the past are not repeated.

The IFSC Clearing House Group attended the Joint Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform yesterday. The group was established in the early 1980s but is only now publishing the minutes of its meetings. The documentation and presentations associated with the sub-groups need to be published because they influence our law and public policy. This level of transparency is required and should be demanded by us on behalf of citizens. The intended framework for Oireachtas inquiries is detailed and must be carefully analysed by all Deputies. The manner in which we conduct our business and how we investigate matters of public policy have to be fair, efficient and democratic and not open to legal challenge.

I share the frustration of other Members that it is five years since the bank guarantee was given and three years since the EU-IMF bailout and that there has been a delay in establishing a banking inquiry. However, this delay is the result of the careful analysis which the Government has undertaken.

The Bill will not provide for the apportionment of blame. Those on the Opposition benches always want to blame somebody such as a particular Minister or an individual outside the House. The correct approach to be adopted under the Bill is to inquire into events, establish the facts and the failings of public policy to ensure these events are never repeated. We wish to ensure that whoever follows us in the future will never be able to move the country towards bankruptcy, as happened under the previous Government.

It will be decided whether an inquiry will be an inquire, record and report inquiry or a legislative inquiry. A balance between the two would be preferable.

I hope that when the Minister comes back, he will elaborate on just how that will develop.

The legal framework provided for in the Bill will ensure we will have a quick and robust inquiry with clear powers available to all Members. It is welcome that the right to establish an inquiry is vested exclusively in the Houses, which recognises their importance. If we look at what happened in the past 15 years, we will see that more and more powers were taken from the Houses and vested in the Executive. I recognise that the Bill vests power in the Oireachtas again. It is much easier to complain about problems than to recognise the powers set out, which are very important.

I recognise that the Ceann Comhairle was very ambitious about getting wider media coverage of committee work. The work he has done in allowing committee meetings to be broadcast by UPC has produced improved engagement and understanding by the public of what happens in committees. I have seen this in the contact members of the public have had with me. I make the point because when the Bill is passed, it will, rightly, be the subject of a great deal of coverage. Deputy Liam Twomey made a very important point, that we must resource the committees properly. More and more heads of Bills and reports are going before them and they must be strengthened and provided with research capacity and support services to work effectively. The public will recognise this. It is not about showboating and grandstanding; it is about being efficient and bringing forward effective legislation. The Bill is a sign that we can do this. I look forward to engaging on the legislation on Committee Stage. There is much more that I would like to say but time has run out.

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