Brendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour) | Oireachtas source

I will respond to Deputy Murphy in the first instance because we have had long discussions about this. The Deputy's intention is to increase the secretarial facilities, which are broader than "secretary" in the traditional sense. It can be a support made available to the Technical Group but at the expense of parties, because it shifts the money within the pool.

We have had discussions and exchanged correspondence on this. I have indicated on the record of the House that I am sympathetic to the view the Deputy has expressed. It took me a while to reach that position. It cannot be the case that Independents are suddenly seen as a party. Clearly they cannot avail of common research and policy formation services. All shades of opinion are represented within the existing Technical Group. The members of that group have diametrically opposed views on many issues. I think a valid case has been made regarding the practicalities of organising notices and co-ordination.

As Deputy Murphy knows, I examined her amendment in detail in advance of Committee Stage and again in advance of this Stage to see how this matter could be addressed. Having drilled into the proposal, and having received strong advice on the matter, I do not believe the legislative route that has been proposed represents the best way to deal with this issue as it would open up other vistas that are not intended in this regard. However, I am of the view that the Houses of the Oireachtas Commission has the power under the existing legislation to provide such secretarial facilities to individual Members of this House as it determines appropriate. The Deputy is right to suggest that this would require the Houses of the Oireachtas Commission to determine that Deputy Murphy, as Whip, or some other person - I do not know whether the Technical Group has a chair - is entitled to additional secretarial support. The Whip would probably be the right person to be provided with such assistance because of the administrative burden that falls on her. I would support that.

I have formally written a long letter to Deputy Murphy quoting the legal instruments and making it clear that I believe this is doable and feasible. I hope the Houses of the Oireachtas Commission will accept that. It might not go as far as the Deputy would like for a number of reasons, the first of which is that it would not be a permanent solution. Depending on the structure of the next Dáil, these arguments could have to be made again. I think they will be made in any event, even if the next Dáil is completely different in structure from this one. It is possible for the Houses of the Oireachtas Commission, through existing Standing Orders and regulations, to provide Deputy Murphy with secretarial assistance in acknowledgement of the additional role of co-ordinator that she performs within the Technical Group in the interests of the effective carrying out of the business of the House. Equally, the commission can decided to amend its own Standing Orders and rules for these purposes.

Deputy Murphy will acknowledge that in my discussions with her, I have been doing my best to address these issues. I know I have not been going as far as she would like. I understand the argument that an additional support official should be available to the Technical Group to provide necessary co-ordination services. If the Deputy could nudge the recalcitrant members of the Technical Group to pay their subscriptions, perhaps it would ensure that an adequate resource is available to the group to enable this work to be done effectively. I have no objection to the formal use by the Deputy of my letter when she is pursuing this matter with the Houses of the Oireachtas Commission. I hope she does so. If I can assist in that endeavour, I will make myself and my office available for those purposes.

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