Sandra McLellan (Cork East, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I have a concern, one Sinn Féin has indicated previously in this Chamber, at the obvious lack of proper representation on the commission. This lack is particularly significant considering the commission's remit and responsibilities. The commission's primary function is to oversee the provision of services to the Houses and their Members by the Houses of the Oireachtas service, the parliamentary administration.

The work of the commission is more than just a box-ticking exercise. The commission has specific responsibilities. Among these are the oversight of the expenditure of the Houses and the payment of all salaries and expenses for Members and staff. The commission appoints the Clerk of the Dáil and the Secretary General of the Houses of the Oireachtas Service. It produces strategic plans, annual reports and estimates, provides translation services from one official language into the other and a lot more besides. These are important responsibilities. The decisions the commission makes have consequences for every member of the Dáil and Seanad as well as for every member of staff employed here.

Logic would suggest that the commission should have the widest possible representation. However, the commission which currently consists of 11 members, is chaired by the Ceann Comhairle, has four Deputies appointed by the Dáil, three Senators appointed by the Seanad and one member appointed by the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform, the so-called Minister's representative'. The body is made up entirely of members of Fine Gael, the Labour Party and Fianna Fáil. Sinn Féin, the Technical Group, other Independents and Oireachtas Staff are excluded. Therefore, a significant portion of Deputies are not represented on the commission. The decisions the commission makes affect us all and without suggesting that it should become unwieldy, it makes sense that after ten years in existence, it should become more reflective of the make-up of the Oireachtas so that all of the parties in the Houses and the staff are included in its membership.

The membership of the commission should be expanded to get a broader and more comprehensive input into the decision-making process and to ensure wider considerations are given to the day to day running of the Houses. It makes sense that a more inclusive representation on the commission would ensure that the Houses of the Oireachtas provide the best possible services and the most up to date and relevant modern facilities to complement and enhance a modern day democratic institution.

The argument may be made that expanding the membership of the commission may incur an additional cost. Currently, the Ceann Comhairle, who chairs the commission, and the Cathoirleach of the Seanad do not receive an allowance. Deputies who are members of the commission receive an allowance of €8,740 per annum, while Senators get one of €5,989. The Minister's representative is entitled to an allowance but the current representative does not draw it down. We suggest it is possible that allowances could be reduced to accommodate additional members or that, by voluntary agreement, allowances would not be drawn down at all. Whatever the case, the additional costs are minimal. To put these costs in perspective, consider the enormous sums paid out in pensions to, for example, former Taoiseach John Bruton who is on a pension of €126,000. Brian Cowen has a pension of €134,000 and Charlie McCreevy a pension of €108,000. Former Fianna Fáil Minister of State and fraudster Ivor Callely is struggling by on a pension of €62,000, while former Fianna Fáil Minister for Communications and ex-con Ray Burke has an eye watering pension of over €95,000.

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