Committee Reports::Report No. 03 - Tourism, Catering, and Leisure::03 April, 1985::Orders of Reference

JOINT COMMITTEE ON SMALL BUSINESSES

ORDERS OF REFERENCE

Dáil Éireann

21st June 1983:- Ordered


“(1) That a Select Committee consisting of 9 members of Dáil Éireann be appointed to be joined with a Select Committee to be appointed by Seanad Éireann to form the Joint Committee on Small Businesses to examine and report to each House, with its recommendations, on the following matters:


(i) a common definition of small businesses having regard to the criteria applied by State Agencies, the Small Firms Association of the CII and definitions used in other EEC countries;


(ii) the development of the small business sector of the economy;


(iii) the means of facilitating the financing of small businesses with particular reference to existing loan schemes;


(iv) the provision of finance for innovation, research and development for small businesses with particular reference to EEC initiatives, including the setting up of an industrial innovation and development fund;


(v) existing export financing arrangements to see if they are adequately tailored to the needs of small businesses;


(vi) the small industry programmes of the Industrial Development Authority and the Shannon Free Airport Development Company Limited;


(vii) ensuring greater linkage between new foreign industry and small domestic businesses;


(viii) the use of State purchasing decisions as an encouragement to the development of small businesses;


(ix) improving the marketing capability of small businesses;


(x) existing management training techniques insofar as small business are concerned and, in particular, the re-training of management;


(xi) the working of the Committee of Enquiry to be established by the Minister for Finance, which is to recommend a simplified tax regime for family businesses.


(2) That the Joint Committee have power to appoint sub-committees and to refer any matter comprehended by paragraph (1) of this Order to a sub-committee.


(3) That the Joint Committee and each sub-committee, previous to the commencement of business, shall elect one of its members to be Chairman, who shall have only one vote.


(4) That all questions in the Joint Committee and in each sub-committee shall be determined by a majority of votes of the members present and voting and in the event of there being an equality of votes the questions shall be decided in the negative.


(5) That the quorum of the Joint Committee shall be four of whom at least one shall be a member of Dáil Éireann and one shall be a member of Seanad Éireann and that the quorum of each sub-committee shall be three at least one of whom shall be a member of Dáil Éireann and one a member of Seanad Éireann.


(6) That every report which the Joint Committee proposes to make under this Order shall on adoption of the Joint Committee be laid before both Houses of the Oireachtas forthwith whereupon the Joint Committee shall be empowered to print and publish such report together with such related documents as it thinks fit.”


JOINT COMMITTEE ON SMALL BUSINESSES

ORDERS OF REFERENCE

Seanad Éireann

29th June 1983:- Ordered


“(1) That a Select Committee consisting of 7 members of Seanad Éireann be appointed to be joined with a Select Committee to be appointed by Dáil Éireann to form the Joint Committee on Small Businesses to examine and report to each House, with its recommendations, on the following matters:


(i) a common definition of small businesses having regard to the criteria applied by State Agencies, the Small Firms Association of the CII and definitions used in other EEC countries;


(ii) the development of the small business sector of the economy;


(iii) the means of facilitating the financing of small businesses with particular reference to existing loan schemes;


(iv) the provision of finance for innovation, research and development for small businesses with particular reference to EEC initiatives, including the setting up of an industrial innovation and development fund;


(v) existing export financing arrangements to see if they are adequately tailored to the needs of small businesses;


(vi) the small industry programmes of the Industrial Development Authority and the Shannon Free Airport Development Company Limited;


(vii) ensuring greater linkage between new foreign industry and small domestic businesses;


(viii) the use of State purchasing decisions as an encouragement to the development of small businesses;


(ix) improving the marketing capability of small businesses;


(x) existing management training techniques insofar as small business are concerned and, in particular, the re-training of management;


(xi) the working of the Committee of Enquiry to be established by the Minister for Finance, which is to recommend a simplified tax regime for family businesses.


(2) That the Joint Committee have power to appoint sub-committees and to refer any matter comprehended by paragraph (1) of this Order to a sub-committee.


(3) That the Joint Committee and each sub-committee, previous to the commencement of business, shall elect one of its members to be Chairman, who shall have only one vote.


(4) That all questions in the Joint Committee and in each sub-committee shall be determined by a majority of votes of the members present and voting and in the event of there being an equality of votes the questions shall be decided in the negative.


(5) That the quorum of the Joint Committee shall be four of whom at least one shall be a member of Dáil Éireann and one shall be a member of Seanad Éireann and that the quorum of each sub-committee shall be three at least one of whom shall be a member of Dáil Éireann and one a member of Seanad Éireann.


(6) That every report which the Joint Committee proposes to make under this Order shall on adoption of the Joint Committee be laid before both Houses of the Oireachtas forthwith whereupon the Joint Committee shall be empowered to print and publish such report together with such related documents as it thinks fit.”


MEMBERS OF THE JOINT OIREACHTAS COMMITTEE ON SMALL BUSINESSES


Deputy Ivan Yates - Chairman


Senator Michael Lynch - Vice Chairman


Deputy John F. Conlon


Senator Jack Daly


Deputy Avril Doyle


Senator John Ellis


Deputy Francis Fahey


Senator Peter Kelleher


Senator Joseph Lennon


Deputy Tom Leonard*


Deputy Terry Leyden


Senator Helena McAuliffe-Ennis


Deputy Frank McLoughlin


Senator Larry McMahon


Deputy Donal Moynihan


Deputy Patrick J. Sheehan


*Deputy Tom Leonard replaced


Deputy Ber Cowan, deceased.