Brendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour) | Oireachtas source

Again, I do not agree with giving such an oversight role to the Standards in Public Office Commission. I believe it already has a huge variety of roles. We are also, in the context of the review of the Mahon report, looking at ethics legislation in the round. It is my intention to provide for the consolidation of ethics legislation before the end of this Dáil term. I am happy to discuss that in due course with members of the Seanad.

There is no analogous oversight role in the UK Public Interest Disclosures Act, which is regarded as the gold standard. I would prefer the notion of an Oireachtas role rather than reference to another body, which will then refer to the Oireachtas. I have indicated that I will reflect on the timeframe for the review of the legislation. A periodic review, reported to a committee of the House, might perhaps be the better way to go.