Paddy Burke (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

When does the Leader expect the Public Sector Standards Bill 2015 to come before the House? It proposes to set up a commission in place of the Standards in Public Office Commission, SIPO. It will have significant consequences for local authority members across the country, putting onerous obligations on them to comply with the law when it is introduced. The Bill will have to be examined closely by the House, as well as by the Dáil.

Under the Bill's proposals, if a local authority member received €50,000 in a will, they would have to declare it. It may well have to be declared in private to the county secretary or county manager, but it still has to be declared. This could be in breach of data protection legislation.

The Bill will involve other obligations for local authority members. If their circumstances change, they may have to make up to three declarations per year and hold documentation for up to 15 years. Local authority members have limited secretarial services, if any. Holding records for 15 years and making three declarations a year will put quite an obligation on them. As well as that, they will be classified as category A public officials, putting them in the same category as Oireachtas Members, the Judiciary and departmental Secretaries General.It is most unfair that a local authority member would be categorised as having the same obligations as those groups. When is it envisaged that the legislation will come to this House? Is it going to start in this House?