Roderic O'Gorman (Dublin West, Green Party)
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297. To ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform to provide a list of regulatory, appeal or other bodies, either funded by or under the remit of his Department, which are quasi-judicial in nature. [13580/25]

Jack Chambers (Dublin West, Fianna Fail)
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On the basis of the definition provided by the Deputy O' Gorman, i.e., non-court bodies empowered to adjudicate issues and disputes in particular areas, I am informed that the Office of the Regulator of the National Lottery is deemed quasi-judicial in nature.

In relation to the status of the six bodies falling within the remit of the Office of the Ombudsman, I am informed by the Office that the functions of only two, or possibly three, bodies could be described as ‘quasi-judicial’ using the definition provided. It is clear that both the Information Commissioner (OIC) and the Commissioner for Environmental Information (OCEI) adjudicate issues and disputes, as both are appeal bodies which make decisions affecting the rights of the parties to the appeal. Some, but not all, of the functions of the Standards in Public Office Commission (SIPO) could possibly be described as ‘quasi-judicial’. On one hand, some of their functions may result in findings of wrongdoing by individuals. On the other hand, SIPO’s functions do not involve adjudication of disputes or issues as between parties, as its investigations only affect the subject of the investigation.

While acknowledging the definition provided by Deputy O' Gorman, there is no generally accepted definition of the term ‘quasi-judicial’. In some cases, it is used to refer to tribunals that adjudicate disputes in a manner akin to the courts, whereas in other cases it is used to refer more generally to all bodies that make findings in relation to disputes. The Office of the Ombudsman recommends caution in labelling any bodies as being quasi-judicial, or not, in circumstances where the meaning of that term is not generally accepted.