Seanad debates

Tuesday, 1 July 2003

Houses of the Oireachtas Commission Bill 2002: Committee Stage.

 

From the point of view of the staff, they have jobs to do and to an extent they are unpaid amateur researchers. In some cases, they do it well. Research for Members is absolutely crucial from the point of view of enabling us to perform our functions properly as legislators. As I said on Second Stage, from the moment I became a Member of the other House, I was appointed spokesman on education. That was fine because I come from a teaching background. Later I was appointed spokesman on justice, equality and law reform and trying to wrestle with legislation and with the Minister who had the full bureaucracy behind him was a daunting task. Thanks to the benevolent and forthcoming assistance of those in the legal sphere and some members of the Garda Síochána, I was in a position to make a coherent response and challenge him. We do not expect researchers to be political, rather we expect them to be constructive in relation to providing quality advice for Members so they can make a positive and constructive input to legislation. That is good for the Government as well not from the point of view of being political, but, as Jack Charlton would say, to put it under pressure.

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