Committees of the Oireachtas

Irish parliamentary committees

Committees of the Oireachtas

Some members of the Joint Committee on Health and Children meet with representatives of Dáil na nÓg in 2014

Legislature(s)| Oireachtas
Website| www.oireachtas.ie/en/committees/

Committees of the Oireachtas are committees and sub-committees and select committees of Dáil Éireann and Joint Committees of Dáil Éireann and Seanad Éireann, that are small groups of TDs and senators of the Oireachtas, the parliament of the Republic of Ireland.[1] Some committees are formed by statute after every general election, others are formed by agreement for a full parliamentary term or for a specific issue on a time-limited basis. Committees are formed on a proportional basis from members of the political parties/groups in each house. Chairs of committees are granted a stipend for their work. Some committees scrutinise the work and proposed legislation from specific government departments, and senior ministers or junior ministers of state as well as public servants or representatives of semi-state bodies and organisations supported by state funding are also regularly invited to address such committees.

## Private meetings

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Committees agree their agendas and ways of working, or discuss matters of a sensitive nature,[2] in private meetings.

## Public meetings

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Committees hold public meetings where individuals are asked to address a committee, or be questioned by it.[3]

## Parliamentary privilege

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Per Bunreacht na hÉireann,[4] when addressing a committee in Leinster House, contributors are protected by limited parliamentary privilege, but it is the custom of committees to ask contributors to desist from referring (directly or undeniably) negatively to individuals who are not present at such a committee meeting.[5] Since the increased use of remote meeting software, (from 2020) this privilege for parliamentarians has been limited to those who are "physically present within the confines of Leinster House".[6]

## Committee of Privileges

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The Constitution provides for the formation, at the direction of the president, following a request of 30 senators, of a joint "Committee of Privileges",[7] to decide on whether a specific Bill meets the definition of a "money bill", which would be subject to a maximum delay of 21 days by a Seanad resolution. This committee would be chaired by a Supreme Court Judge.[8] No such committee has ever been created under the 1937 constitution, but one was created in 1935 under Article 35 of the 1922 Constitution of the Irish Free State, which contained similar provisions.[9] Originally the committee could be requested by two-fifths of TDs, but the Constitution (Amendment No. 12) Act 1930 allowed half of Senators to do so. The Constitution (Amendment No. 24) Act 1936, which abolished the Seanad, made the concept of money bills moot and so also deleted Article 35.

## Proposed constitutional change 2011

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The Thirtieth Amendment of the Constitution Bill 2011, put to a referendum in October 2011, sought to empower each House to convene (possibly jointly) committees of inquiry, with powers to compel withness statements, and to make findings against citizens. The referendum was defeated by 53% to 47%.[10] In 2013 a referendum to remove the Seanad proposed extensive changes of committees. This was defeated by 51.7% to 48.3%.[11]

## Current committees

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This section needs expansion. You can help by adding to it. (July 2022)

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### Dáil committees

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* Public Accounts Committee

### Joint committees

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* Joint Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine[12]
* Joint Committee on European Union Affairs[13]
* Joint Committee on Social Protection, Community and Rural Development and the Islands[14]
* Joint Committee on Health[15]
* Joint Committee on Housing, Local Government and Heritage[16]
* Joint Committee on Transport and Communications[17]
* Joint Committee on Gender Equality[18]
* Joint Committee on Disability Matters[19]
* Joint Committee on International Surrogacy[20]
* Joint Committee on Media, Tourism, Arts, Culture, Sport and the Gaeltacht[21]
* Comhchoiste Na Gaeilge, Na Gaeltachta Agus Phobal Labhartha Na Gaeilge \- (Joint Committee on The Irish Language, The Gaeltachts and the Use of Irish in Public)[22]
* Select Committee on Education and Further And Higher Education, Research, Innovation And Science[23]
* Joint Committee on the Implementation of The Good Friday Agreement[24]

## Former committees

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This section needs expansion. You can help by adding to it. (July 2022)

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* Joint Committee on Women's Rights[25]
* Joint Committee on Marriage Breakdown[26]
* Joint Committee on Tourism, Sport and Recreation
* Joint Committee on the Irish language
* Joint Committee on the Secondary Legislation of the European Communities[27]
* Committee of Inquiry into the Banking Crisis, (post-2008)
* Joint Committee on Health and Children
* Joint Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade[28]
* Joint Committee on the Eighth Amendment of the Constitution (32nd Dáil)
* Joint Committee on Justice and Equality[29][30]
* Seanad Special Select Committee on the Withdrawal of the UK from the EU[31]

## References

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1. ^ "Oireachtas committee schedule – Houses of the Oireachtas". Oireachtas.ie. 8 July 2022.
2. ^ "Miriam Lord: Holohan and Watt Show blew into town but only one got a grilling". The Irish Times.
3. ^ "Oireachtas committees – Houses of the Oireachtas". Oireachtas.ie. 28 June 2022.
4. ^ Article 15.13 (PDF), Constitution of Ireland, 1937
5. ^ "Joint Committee on Education, Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science debate - Tuesday, 28 Jun 2022". Oireachtas.ie. 28 June 2022.
6. ^ Smyth, Niamh (10 April 2024). Joint Committee on Tourism, Culture, Arts, Sport and Media debate - Wednesday, 10 Apr 2024 (Speech). Oireachtas.ie.
7. ^ Article 22.2 (PDF), Constitution of Ireland, 1937
8. ^ Article 22.2.3 (PDF), Constitution of Ireland, 1937
9. ^

* Forde, Michael; Leonard, David (14 October 2016). Constitutional Law of Ireland. Bloomsbury Publishing. p. 105 §5.08. ISBN 978-1-78451-874-5.
* Committee of Privileges Under Article 35 of the Constitution (January 1936). Land purchase (guarantee fund) bill 1935 : reports and proceedings of the Committee (PDF). OCLC 54239673 – via Oireachtas library.

10. ^ "Referendum Results 1937–2015" (PDF). Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government. 23 August 2016. p. 83\. Archived from the original (PDF) on 17 May 2017. Retrieved 8 July 2022.
11. ^ "Referendum Results 1937–2015" (PDF). Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government. 23 August 2016. p. 89\. Archived from the original (PDF) on 17 May 2017. Retrieved 8 July 2022.
12. ^ O'Sullivan, Kathleen (26 April 2022). "'Negative' messaging 'undermining' forest sector". Irish Examiner.
13. ^ "Joint Committee on European Union Affairs debate - Wednesday, 15 Jun 2022". Oireachtas.ie. 15 June 2022.
14. ^ "Joint Committee on Social Protection, Community and Rural Development and the Islands debate - Wednesday, 15 Jun 2022". Oireachtas.ie. 15 June 2022.
15. ^ "Joint Committee on Health debate - Wednesday, 15 Jun 2022". Oireachtas.ie. 15 June 2022.
16. ^ "Committee on Housing, Local Government and Heritage – 33rd Dáil, 26th Seanad – Houses of the Oireachtas". Oireachtas.ie. 17 April 2024.
17. ^ "Joint Committee on Transport and Communications debate - Wednesday, 15 Jun 2022". Oireachtas.ie. 15 June 2022.
18. ^ "Committee on Gender Equality – 33rd Dáil, 26th Seanad – Houses of the Oireachtas". Oireachtas.ie. 2 June 2022.
19. ^ "Committee on Disability Matters – 33rd Dáil, 26th Seanad – Houses of the Oireachtas". Oireachtas.ie. 7 July 2022.
20. ^ "Committee on International Surrogacy – 33rd Dáil, 26th Seanad – Houses of the Oireachtas". Oireachtas.ie. 6 July 2022.
21. ^ "Kerry TD says RTÉ must appear before Oireachtas Committee immediately". RadioKerry.ie.
22. ^ "Comhchoiste na Gaeilge, na Gaeltachta agus Phobal Labhartha na Gaeilge debate - Wednesday, 15 Jun 2022" [Joint Committee on The Irish Language, The Gaeltachts and the Use of Irish in Public]. Oireachtas.ie (in Irish). 15 June 2022.
23. ^ "Select Committee on Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth debate - Tuesday, 14 Jun 2022". Oireachtas.ie. 14 June 2022.
24. ^ McGreehan, Erin [@ErinMcGreehan] (20 October 2022). "Great to have Bertie Ahern before the Good Friday Agreement Committee this afternoon.He has made an incredible contribution to peace & progress on this island. #GFA" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
25. ^ Ganly, Conor. "Daughters and sisters have made Laois TD and Minister conscious of barriers women face". LeinsterExpress.ie.
26. ^ Oireachtas Joint Committee on Marriage Breakdown (1985). Report of the Joint Committee on Marriage Breakdown - Oireachtas report. Stationery Office.
27. ^ Oireachtas Joint Committee on the Secondary Legislation of the European Communities. (1972). Report.
28. ^ "Joint Committee on Foreign Affairs And Trade - minutes" (PDF). Oireachtas.ie. 9 April 2014.
29. ^ Michael Kirrane, Irish Naturalisation and Immigration Service (11 July 2018). Opening contribution (Speech). Joint Committee on Justice and Equality debate. Oireachtas.ie.
30. ^ "I want to invest in Ireland". IrishImmigration.ie.
31. ^ https://www.oireachtas.ie/en/committees/33/seanad-committee-on-the-withdrawal-of-the-uk-from-the-eu/

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