Charles Flanagan (Laois, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

This amendment provides for the payment of reasonable expenses of a complainant or witness who may have to pay travel or accommodation costs in order to appear before a panel of inquiry or a hearing of the Judicial Conduct Committee. Such a provision is made in many of the Acts which govern appearances before investigative or other bodies. For example, section 49 of the Mental Health Act 2001, section 12 of the Criminal Law Insanity Act 2006 and section 83 of the Houses of the Oireachtas (Inquiries, Privileges and Procedures) Act 2013 contain similar provisions. In the case of bodies for which there is no explicit statutory provision such as the Medical Council, the Nursing and Midwifery Board and the Teaching Council, some make witness payments on the basis of custom and practice. In this instance, it is not unreasonable to have an explicit provision in the interests of transparency.