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REPORT OF THE COMMITTEE.1. The Select Committee (consisting of ten Deputies) was appointed by Order of the Dáil of the 17th November, 1926, to make recommendations regarding certain proposals for legislation to amend the Constitution, and to report back not later than December 1st. By further Order of the Dáil of the same date, the Ceann Comhairle was appointed Chairman of the Committee. The following Deputies were nominated by the Committee of Selection to serve on the Committee:— The Minister for Finance; the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Finance; Deputies P. S. Doyle, Connor Hogan, Johnson, Magennis, Mulcahy, Thrift and Tierney. By subsequent Order of the Dáil of the 18th November, 1926, the number of members of the Select Committee was increased to eleven, and in addition to the Deputies nominated by the Committee of Selection, Deputy Redmond was appointed to serve on the Committee. 2. The Committee held three meetings. 3. The following were the proposals submitted to the Committee for consideration:— (a) A proposal to amend the Constitution, by inserting therein special provision for the election at a General Election of the member of Dáil Eireann who was Chairman thereof, immediately before the preceding dissolution of the Oireachtas. (b) A proposal to amend the Constitution, by removing therefrom the requirement that the day of a General Election should be proclaimed a public holiday. (c) A proposal to amend the Constitution, by extending the maximum duration of Dáil Eireann from four years to five years. (d) A proposal to amend the Constitution, by increasing the maximum membership of the Executive Council from seven to twelve members. The Committee decided to consider seriatim the four proposals, and the extent to which these proposals might affect other points in the Constitution, and to make recommendations accordingly. (i) Re-election at a General Election of outgoing Chairman of Dáil Eireann.A majority of the Committee considers that is desirable that the Chairman of Dáil Eireann should keep himself clear of party affiliations during his term of office; that the difficulty in these circumstances of his securing election in any constituency to the subsequent Dáil will tend to be great; and it is, therefore, of opinion that amendment of the Constitution in this respect is desirable. A proposal alternative to that submitted to the Committee for consideration, assuming amendment of the Constitution so as to make special provision in respect to the Chairman, but proposing that such amendment should be by way of allowing the Dáil to appoint as its Chairman either one of its members, or a person not a member of the Dáil, was negatived by the Committee. The Committee recommends to the Dáil for adoption, the proposal contained in Constitution (Amendment No. 2) Bill, 1926. (ii) Proclamation of day of General Election as a public holiday.The Committee is unanimously of opinion that the day of a General Election should not be required by the Constitution to be proclaimed a public holiday. Should the day of election not be proclaimed a public holiday, the Committee considers that the hours of polling should be varied, so that the loss of facilities, so occasioned, might be restored by more convenient hours of polling. (iii) Duration of Dáil Eireann.The Committee is of opinion that amendment of the Constitution on the lines of this proposal is desirable, but instead of the maximum duration of five years provided in the proposal, recommends that the maximum duration of Dáil Eireann as fixed by the Constitution should be six years, and that a period shorter than that maximum should be fixed by ordinary legislation. (iv) Increase of maximum membership of the Executive Council.The Committee recommends this proposal to the Dáil. (Signed) MÍCHEÁL O hAODHA, Chairman of the Committee. 26th November, 1926. |
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