Committee Reports > List of Committees > Dáil > 1995 > Select Committtee on Social Affairs > Report - Select Committtee on Social Affairs, For the period 7 April, 1993 to 31 December 1994

DÁIL ÉIREANN

TUARASCÁIL

ón

Roghchoiste um Ghnóthaí Sóisialta don tréimhse 7 Aibreán, 1993 go 31 Nollaig, 1994

REPORT

of the

Select Committee on Social Affairs for the period 7 April, 1993 to 31 December, 1994

Foreword

Foreword by the Chairman Select Committee on Social Affairs

The Select Committee on Social Affairs was initially established on April 1993 by Order of Dáil Éireann. Following the change of Government in December 1994 the members of the Committee were discharged and new members were appointed on 9 March 1995. Because the changes were unanticipated, it was not possible for the outgoing Committee to conclude all of the business which had been referred to it by the Dáil or to finalise this Report. It has therefore fallen to the present Committee to publish this Report.

This Report sets out in detail the work which was completed up to the 31 December 1994. As Chairman I would therefore like to give credit and thanks to the former members of the Committee, for the excellent work which was carried out by them during the initial two years of the Committee’s operation. I would also like to thank Ms Jane Mathews, the Clerk to the Committee, for her invaluable assistance.

Seamus Pattison T. D.

Chairman of the Select Committee

Introduction

1.1The Select Committee on Social Affairs was established as part of the Oireachtas reforms proposed under the Fianna Fáil and Labour Programme for a Partnership Government 1993-1997. These reforms included the expansion of the Oireachtas Committee system to ensure that the Dáil would have the opportunity to carry out a detailed examination of all legislative and expenditure proposals. There are four other similar committees¹ which consider the committee stages (third stages i.e. the detailed section by section examination) of bills, annual proposals for expenditure by Government Departments (known as Estimates) and reports referred to them by the Dáil.

1.2The Dáil formally appointed the Select Committee on 7 April 1993.² There were thirty Members,³ all Deputies, nominated as follows according to party strength in the Dáil:

In common with the other Select Committees the Chairman was a member of one of the Government Parties and there were two unelected convenors, who acted as whips, one Government and one Opposition. Mr Seamus Pattison, T.D. (Labour) was elected Chairman at the first meeting of the Select Committee on 13 May 1993. The convenors appointed were Deputy Michael Bell (Labour) and Deputy Paul Bradford (Fine Gael) with the function of ensuring the availability of members or substitutes for meetings and for any votes called at meetings.

1.3The number of meetings held reflected the workload but in general the Committee met year-round except during the month of August. Meetings were held in the committee rooms in Kildare House, Kildare Street or in the Dáil or Seanad Chambers, when available. Meetings on bills and estimates were held in public session and televised in-house and recorded for T.V. broadcasting unless otherwise decided. RTE has broadcast extracts from Committee meetings in its Oireachtas Report and In Committee programmes. Extracts have also been broadcast on radio. Verbatim reports of meetings held in public session are published and may be purchased from the Government Publications Sale Office, Sun Alliance House, Molesworth Street, Dublin, 2.

1.4Terms of reference of the Sub-Committee are at Appendix II.

Work Carried out by the Select Committee

1993

In 1993 the Select Committee met on 12 occasions.

The Select Committee considered and reported to the Dáil on the Committee Stages of the following Bills:

Matrimonial Home Bill, 1993

Social Welfare (No. 2) Bill, 1993

The Select Committee considered the following Estimates and Supplementary Estimates for Public Services (1993)

Department of Arts, Culture and the Gaeltacht

An Roinn Ealaíon, Cultúir agus Gaeltachta — (Vote 42)

National Gallery — (Vote 43)

An Chomhairle Ealaíon — (Vote 44)

Department of Education

Office of the Minister for Education — (Vote 26)

First Level Education — (Vote 27)

Second Level and further Education — (Vote 28)

Third Level and further Education — (Vote 29)

Supplementary Estimates were also considered in respect of Votes 26-29.

Department of Health

Health — (Vote 41)

Supplementary Estimate — (Vote 41)

Department of Social Welfare

Social Welfare — (Vote 40)

Supplementary Estimate — (Vote 40)

1994

In 1994 the Select Committee met on 11 occasions.

The Select Committee considered and reported to the Dáil on the Committee Stages of the following Bills:

Social Welfare Bill, 1994

National Monuments (Amendment) Bill, 1993

Maternity Protection Bill, 1994

Regional Technical Colleges (Amendment) Bill, 1994

Dublin Institute of Technology (Amendment) Bill, 1994

The Select Committee considered the following Estimates for Public Services (1994):

Department of Education

Office of the Minister for Education — (Vote 26)

First Level Education — (Vote 27)

Second Level and further Education — (Vote 28)

Third Level and further Education — (Vote 29)

Department of Health

Health — (Vote 41)

Department of Arts, Culture and the Gaeltacht

An Roinn Ealaíon, Cultúir agus Gaeltachta — (Vote 42)

National Gallery — (Vote 43)

An Chomhairle Ealaíon — (Vote 44)

Department of Social Welfare

Social Welfare — (Vote 40)

Previous to consideration of Bills, as provided for under Paragraph 8 of the Terms of Reference of the Select Committee, private briefing sessions were held between members of the Select Committee and Officials from the relevant Departments.

¹The other Select Committees are Legislation and Security, Enterprise and Economic Strategy, Finance and General Affairs and Foreign Affairs. (The latter is joined with a Select Committee of the Seanad and is generally known as the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Foreign Affairs).

²The Order of the Dáil appointing the Committee is contained in Appendix II.

³For a full list of Members see Appendix I.