Paschal Donohoe (Dublin Central, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I am pleased to present the Houses of the Oireachtas Commission (Amendment) Bill to the House, which has passed all Stages in the Dáil. The Houses of the Oireachtas Commission came into existence in January 2004 and the legislation that set it up allowed it to play two roles. First, it was the sanctioning authority for expenditure, for deciding on staff numbers up to the grade of principal officer and for the provision of services and related matters to the Oireachtas. Second, the system for the allocation of budgets to the Oireachtas changed from the annual Civil Service Estimates and Vote procedure to a different process involving a three-year budget drawn from the Central Fund. This has been the approach for many years and a new Oireachtas commission Act is now required as a matter of priority, given that the financing provided under the 2021 Act covered the years up to and including this year and expires on 31 December. Therefore, this Bill needs to be enacted by the end of the year to ensure there is a statutory basis for payments by the Oireachtas from 1 January.

It is important to note that, while the commission has many different roles, it does not play a role in setting the level of remuneration payable to TDs and Senators. Responsibility for salaries, pensions and allowances for Ministers and other Members is the responsibility of the Minister for Public Expenditure, NDP Delivery and Reform, but the commission is accountable to the Parliament and presents annual reports of its work to both Houses with Estimates and accounts of its annual expenditure.

I acknowledge the valuable role played by the secretarial, parliamentary and administrative assistants in supporting Members and delivering a high-quality service to the Oireachtas.As a Member of the Oireachtas now for some time, I am acutely conscious of the high-calibre work that all our staff do. We are dependent on them. I am very grateful to them and I am conscious that this is a view that will be shared by many other Members.

The Bill proposes to make available to the commission a sum not exceeding €565 million to carry out its functions for the three-year period from 1 January 2025 to 31 December 2027. This sum has been the subject of detailed and substantial engagement between the commission and my own Department, and this proposed amount has now been approved by the Government. The proposed amount takes into account expenditure that can be reasonably foreseen over the three-year period up to 2027. My objective in this process has been to strike the right balance between sufficient and appropriate funding for our national Parliament and showing our commitment to planning the use of the public’s money well.

This value is over three years and comprises €205.3 million in 2025, with a balance of €360 million to be allocated across the following two years. This is an increase of €102.25 million, or 22.1%, over that three-year period. Out of that, €406.6 million consists of pay and pensions, Members’ allowances is €32.9 million, and non-pay is €125.5 million, or 22% of the overall budget allocation.

The main driver in the change of the amount of money available across this three-year period is the prospective increase in the size of the Dáil. The next Dáil will see 174 TDs representing 43 Dáil constituencies, an increase of 14 from the current 160 TDs and 39 constituencies. This will have impacts beyond just the number of TDs, for example, with regard to the number of staff that will be available to support them in their work.

I also introduced a security provision in the current Oireachtas funding for work to be done in offices particular of Members of the Oireachtas. This is something the future operation of which I am considering at the moment, conscious of the importance of allowing Members of the Oireachtas to engage with their constituents in a safe and secure manner.

Another key driver of the change relates the implementation of an Oireachtas ICT strategy. This money will provide for new initiatives and deal with emerging requirements, such as cybersecurity and artificial intelligence, and will also contribute the replacement of two legacy systems. We need to ensure our work is efficient and that it stays safe from a digital perspective.

Other contributory factors with regard to the increased allocation are as follows: the costs associated with the forthcoming election and also our forthcoming EU Presidency.

With regard to the Bill, there are two sections, with one substantive amendment. Section 1 amends section 5 of the principal Act to provide funding for the expenditure incurred by the commission during the period of three years from 1 January 2025. This amount is capped at €565 million. Section 2 is a standard form provision and sets out the Short Title, collective citation and commencement date for the Bill.

The Bill aims to provide proper and appropriate resourcing for our national Parliament. Our prosperity and welfare places demands on the work that happens in the Oireachtas. Likewise, I believe the Oireachtas is central to both. The proper funding of that work is important. That is why I commend this Bill to the House.