Minutes of the Commission Wednesday, 8th July, 2009

1. The seventh meeting of the Commission of 2009 took place at 5 p.m. in Room 2, Leinster House.

2. MEMBERS PRESENT.

Deputy John O’Donoghue, T.D., Ceann Comhairle (Chairperson), Senator , of the Seanad (Deputy Chairperson), Senator , Mr. Kieran Coughlan, Secretary General, Deputy Tom Hayes, Senator Cecilia Keaveney, Deputy Séamus Kirk, Deputy Michael Mulcahy, Deputy Dan Neville, Deputy Pat Rabbitte and Senator Jim Walsh.

3. MINUTES OF PREVIOUS MEETING.

The minutes of the meeting of 24th June, 2009, were agreed by the Commission.

Arising from the minutes: (i) Senator Keaveney questioned the requirement for a 65% abatement of her constituency telephone allowance if she opts to retain the telephone system provided to her during the course of her participation in a pilot project to test the viability of providing the service to all members. As the Commission has decided not to proceed to roll this service out to all members in the current economic climate, the Senator was advised that she has the option of retaining the system subject to the 65% abatement of the telephone allowance to cover the cost of the Office absorbing the telephony costs of her office, or alternatively she could opt out of the system, continue with her own telephone system and retain her full telephone allowance.

(ii) Members questioned the accommodation facilities to be provided to journalists during the course of the OPW works in Leinster House which are due to commence once the Houses go into recess in July. The Commission was informed that suitable alternative “hot desk” facilities will be put in place for journalists with Leinster House accreditation in time for the Autumn session. .

4. RATIONALISATION OF MEMBERS’ ALLOWANCES - UPDATE.

The Commission was circulated for their information with the draft text of a Committee Stage amendment to the Oireachtas (Allowances to Members) and Ministerial and Parliamentary Offices Bill 2009 [Seanad] [07-01-09], which it was advised would be tabled by the Minister for Finance in the Dáil on Thursday, 9th July, 2009. The Commission was advised that the amendment is an enabling provision to allow for the introduction of the single parliamentary allowance by way of statutory instrument. The Commission noted that the Government decision in approving the concept of the single parliamentary allowance included a requirement for consultation with the C&AG and the Revenue Commissioners and the fact that these consultations have now been completed by the Department of Finance without any objections to the concept being raised by either was important in the context of the transparency and verifiability requirement for members’ expenses.

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Senator Jim Walsh moved and Senator Keaveney seconded a motion regarding the timing of the implementation of the single parliamentary allowance pending consultation with all Oireachtas members.

A division having being demanded in the Seanad, the meeting was suspended.

The meeting was resumed at 5.50 p.m.

The debate was resumed and the motion moved by Senator Walsh was withdrawn.

The decision of the Commission of 18th February, 2009, which strongly endorsed the move from the current system of miscellaneous expenses to a single parliamentary allowance based on distance from Leinster House and encompassing attendance recording and deductions for non-attendance was raised for reconfirmation, but Senators Jim Walsh and Cecilia Keaveney objected on the grounds that they had been asked and acceded to a request to withdraw their motion on this matter, to avoid dividing the Commission. .

5. ADJOURNMENT.

The meeting adjourned at 6.15 p.m.

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

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