Minutes of the Commission Tuesday, 20th October, 2009

1. The eighth meeting of the Commission of 2009 took place at 6.30 p.m. in Room 2, Leinster House.

2. MEMBERS PRESENT.

Deputy Séamus Kirk, T.D., Ceann Comhairle (Chairperson), Senator , of the Seanad (Deputy Chairperson), Senator Paul Bradford, Mr. Kieran Coughlan, Secretary General, Deputy Tom Hayes, Senator , Deputy Michael Mulcahy, Deputy Dan Neville, Deputy Pat Rabbitte and Senator Jim Walsh.

3. RATIONALISATION OF MEMBERS’ ALLOWANCES - UPDATE.

Deputy Brian Lenihan, Minister for Finance, Mr. Brendan Duffy and Mr. Nicholas Meehan, Department of Finance, were admitted to the meeting.

The Ceann Comhairle welcomed the Minister for Finance to the meeting and conveyed to him the wish of the Commission to progress this issue as a matter of urgency in view of the apparent reputational damage to the political system arising from a public perception that reform of the members' allowances and expenses system is not being brought forward quickly enough. As the statutory function in determining the allowances and entitlements of members rests with the Minister for Finance, the Ceann Comhairle invited the Minister to advise the Commission of his intentions in relation to reform of the system and to respond to the recommendations already made to him by the Commission.

The Minister acknowledged the Commission’s work in putting its proposals together and its genuine commitment to introduce greater transparency and verifiability into the members’ allowances and expenses system. The Minister also referred to the substantial reductions in expenses, including a 25% cut in mileage, which he had introduced during the summer and noted that, at the same time, there seemed to have been very little public acknowledgement outside of Leinster House of these very substantial cuts. He stated the Commission’s proposal to introduce a single parliamentary allowance encompassing attendance recording and deductions for non-attendance had merit and had been very carefully considered by him but that there was also in present circumstances a strong demand for a greater element of actual vouching of individual expenses and he had to take this into account in finalising the changes. The Minister proceeded to give a general outline of his plans to introduce a scheme of vouched allowances/expenses and a general discussion ensued. The Minister indicated that he envisages the new scheme, once the details have been finalised, would be in place by 1st January, 2010.

The Commission: 1) Noted and welcomed the Minister’s intention to finalise the reform proposals as soon as possible in order to make the allowances system more verifiable and accountable from a public perspective; 2) Noted the reductions in members’ allowances introduced by the Minister for Finance during July and August 2009; 3) Re-iterated its preference for the introduction of a single parliamentary allowance, encompassing attendance recording and deductions for non-attendance, as recommended by the Commission to the Minister on 20th January, 2009, the basis of which is modelled on the allowances system operated in the German Bundestag. 4) Agreed that the process of consultation at official Departmental/Office level continue and that a sub-Committee of the Commission comprising a cross-party selection of members be 1 established to consider the detail of the Minister's changes arising from this consultation. The following members were appointed to the sub-Committee: Deputies Tom Hayes, Michael Mulcahy and Pat Rabbitte and Senator Paul Bradford.

The Commission thanked Minister Lenihan and his officials for their attendance at the meeting and they withdrew from the meeting.

4. COMMISSION MEMBERSHIP.

The Commission congratulated Deputy Kirk on his election as Ceann Comhairle and noted that the vacancy in the ordinary membership of the Commission occasioned by his election as Ceann Comhairle would be filled at the earliest opportunity by motion approved by the Dáil. The consequential vacancy in the membership and Chair of the Finance Committee would be filled by the Commission once the vacancy at Commission level has been filled in the first instance. In addition, the Commission noted that nominations to fill the vacancy in the Audit Committee occasioned by the resignation of its external Chairperson would be forthcoming from the Secretary General at the next meeting.

5. ANY OTHER BUSINESS.

Operating principles governing confidentiality of Commission proceedings.

The Commission requested that the operating principles governing the confidentiality of Commission proceedings and the interaction between Commission members and other members of the Houses be discussed at the next meeting.

The Commission formally recorded its appreciation of the leadership and work undertaken by the former Chairman Deputy John O’Donoghue T.D. and wished him well for the future.

6. ADJOURNMENT.

The meeting adjourned at 7.50 p.m.

SÉAMUS KIRK, T.D., Ceann Comhairle and Chairperson of the Commission. Dated:

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