Committee Reports > List of Committees > Joint > 1999 > Committee on European Affairs > Report - Work Programme of the Joint Committee on European Affairs, 1999

ORDERS OF REFERENCE - (DÁIL)

(1) (a)That a Select Committee, which shall be called the Select Committee on European Affairs, consisting of 14 members of Dáil Éireann (of whom 4 shall constitute a quorum), be appointed to consider such Bills, the statute law in respect of which is dealt with by the Department of Foreign Affairs, as shall be referred to it by Dáil Éireann from time to time.

(b)For the purpose of its consideration of Bills under paragraph (1)(a), the Select Committee shall have the powers defined in Standing Order 78A(1), (2) and (3).

(c)For the avoidance of doubt, by virtue of his or her ex officio membership of the Select Committee in accordance with Standing Order 84(1), the Minister for Foreign Affairs (or a Minister or Minister of State nominated in his or her stead) shall be entitled to vote.

(2) (a)The Select Committee shall be joined with a Select Committee to be appointed by Seanad Éireann to form the Joint Committee on European Affairs to—

(i)consider such matters arising from Ireland’s membership of the European Communities and its adherence to the Treaty on European Union, as it may select,

(ii)consider such—

(I)programmes and guidelines prepared by the Commission of the European Communities as a basis for possible legislative action and such drafts of regulations, directives, decisions, recommendations and opinions of the Council of Ministers proposed by the Commission,

(II)acts of the institutions of those Communities,

(III)regulations under the European Communities Acts, 1972 to 1995,

(IV)other instruments made under statute and necessitated by the obligations of membership of those Communities,

as it may select,

(iii)consider such other matters as may be jointly referred to it from time to time by both Houses of the Oireachtas, and

(iv)represent the Houses of the Oireachtas at the Conference of European Affairs Committees (COSAC),

and shall report thereon to both Houses of the Oireachtas.

(b)The quorum of the Joint Committee shall be 5, of whom at least 1 shall be a member of Dáil Éireann and 1 a member of Seanad Éireann.

(c)The Joint Committee shall have the powers defined in Standing Order 78A(1) to (9) inclusive.

(d)The following persons may attend meetings of the Joint Committee and of its sub-Committees and may take part in proceedings without having a right to vote or to move motions and amendments:

(i)members of the European Parliament elected from constituencies in Ireland (including Northern Ireland),

(ii)members of the Irish delegation to the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, and

(iii)at the invitation of the Joint Committee or of a sub-Committee, as appropriate, other Members of the European Parliament.

(3)The Chairman of the Joint Committee, who shall be a member of Dáil Éireann, shall also be Chairman of the Select Committee.

ORDERS OF REFERENCE - (SEANAD)

(1) (a)That a Select Committee consisting of 5 members of Seanad Éireann shall be appointed to be joined with a Select Committee of Dáil Éireann to form the Joint Committee on European Affairs to—

(i)consider such matters arising from Ireland’s membership of the European Communities and its adherence to the Treaty on European Union, as it may select,

(ii)consider such—

(I)programmes and guidelines prepared by the Commission of the European Communities as a basis for possible legislative action and such drafts of regulations, directives, decisions, recommenda-tions and opinions of the Council of Ministers proposed by the Commission,

(II)acts of the institutions of those Communities,

(III)regulations under the European Communities Acts, 1972 to 1995,

(IV)other instruments made under statute and necessitated by the obligations of membership of those Communi-ties, as it may select,

(iii)consider such other matters as may be jointly referred to it from time to time by both Houses of the Oireachtas, and

(iv)represent the Houses of the Oireachtas at the Conference of European Affairs Committees (COSAC),

and shall report thereon to both Houses of the Oireachtas.

(b)The quorum of the Joint Committee shall be 5, of whom at least 1 shall be a member of Dáil Éireann and 1 a member of Seanad Éireann.

(c)The Joint Committee shall have the powers defined in Standing Order 62A (1) to (9) inclusive.

(d)The following persons may attend meetings of the Joint Committee and of its sub-Committees and may take part in proceedings without having a right to vote or to move motions and amendments:

(i)members of the European Parliament elected from constituencies in Ireland (including Northern Ireland),

(ii)members of the Irish delegation to the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, and

(iii)at the invitation of the Joint Committee or of a sub-Committee, as appropriate, other Members of the European Parliament.

(2)The Chairman of the Joint Committee shall be a member of Dáil Éireann.

Powers of Committee (Dáil) - New Standing Order 78A

That the following be adopted as an additional Standing Order of Dáil Éireann relative to Public Business:

“78A. Without prejudice to the generality of Standing Order 78, the Dáil may confer any or all of the following powers on a Select Committee:

(1)power to take oral and written evidence and to print and publish from time to time minutes of such evidence taken in public before the Select Committee together with such related documents as the Select Committee thinks fit;

(2)power to invite and accept written submissions from interested persons or bodies;

(3)power to appoint sub-Committees and to refer to such sub-Committees any matter comprehended by its orders of reference and to delegate any of its powers to such sub-Committees, including power to report directly to the Dáil;

(4)power to draft recommendations for legislative change and for new legislation;

(5)power to require that a member of the Government or Minister of State shall attend before the Select Committee to discuss policy for which he or she is officially responsible: provided that a member of the Government or Minister of State may decline to attend for stated reasons given in writing to the Select Committee, which may report thereon to the Dáil: and provided further that a member of the Government or Minister of State may request to attend a meeting of the Select Committee to enable him or her to discuss such policy;

(6)power to require that a member of the Government or Minister of State shall attend before the Select Committee to discuss proposed primary or secondary legislation (prior to such legislation being published) for which he or she is officially responsible: provided that a member of the Government or Minister of State may decline to attend for stated reasons given in writing to the Select Committee, which may report thereon to the Dáil: and provided further that a member of the Government or Minister of State may request to attend a meeting of the Select Committee to enable him or her to discuss such proposed legislation;

(7)subject to any constraints otherwise prescribed by law, power to require that principal office holders in bodies in the State which are partly or wholly funded by the State or which are established or appointed by members of the Government or by the Oireachtas shall attend meetings of the Select Committee, as appropriate, to discuss issues for which they are officially responsible: provided that such an office holder may decline to attend for stated reasons given in writing to the Select Committee, which may report thereon to the Dáil;

(8)power to engage, subject to the consent of the Minister for Finance, the services of persons with specialist or technical knowledge, to assist it or any of its sub-Committees in considering particular matters; and

(9)power to undertake travel, subject to—

(a)such rules as may be determined by the sub-Committee on Dáil Reform from time to time under Standing Order 91(3)(b);

(b)such recommendations as may be made by the Working Group of Committee Chairmen under Standing Order 92(2)(a); and

(c)the consent of the Minister for Finance, and normal accounting procedures.”.

Powers of the Select Committee (Seanad) 2 February 1998 - Standing Order 62A

62A.Without prejudice to the generality of Standing Order 62, the Seanad may confer any or all of the following powers on a Select Committee:

(1)power to take oral and written evidence and to print and publish from time to time minutes of such evidence taken in public before the Select Committee together with such related documents as the Select Committee thinks fit;

(2)power to invite and accept written submissions from interested persons or bodies;

(3)power to appoint sub-Committees and to refer to such sub-Committees any matter comprehended by its orders of reference and to delegate any of its powers to such sub-Committees, including power to report directly to the Seanad;

(4)power to draft recommendations for legislative change and for new legislation;

(5)power to require that a member of the Government or Minister of State shall attend before the Select Committee to discuss policy for which he or she is officially responsible: provided that a member of the Government or Minister of State may decline to attend for stated reasons given in writing to the Select Committee, which may report thereon to the Seanad: and provided further that a member of the Government or Minister of State may request to attend a meeting of the Select Committee to enable him or her to discuss such policy;

(6)power to require that a member of the Government or Minister of State shall attend before the Select Committee to discuss proposed primary or secondary legislation (prior to such legislation being published) for which he or she is officially responsible: provided that a member of the Government or Minister of State may decline to attend for stated reasons given in writing to the Select Committee, which may report thereon to the Seanad: and provided further that a member of the Government or Minister of State may request to attend a meeting of the Select Committee to enable him or her to discuss such proposed legislation;

(7)subject to any constraints otherwise prescribed by law, power to require that principal office holders in bodies in the State which are partly or wholly funded by the State or which are established or appointed by members of the Government or by the Oireachtas shall attend meetings of the Select Committee, as appropriate, to discuss issues for which they are officially responsible: provided that such an office holder may decline to attend for stated reasons given in writing to the Select Committee, which may report thereon to the Seanad;

(8)power to engage, subject to the consent of the Minister for Finance, the services of persons with specialist or technical knowledge, to assist it or any of its sub-Committees in considering particular matters; and

(9)power to undertake travel, subject to—

(a)such rules as may be determined by the Committee on Procedure and Privileges from time to time under Standing Order 71(1)(e);

(b)such recommendations as may be made by the Working Group of Committee Chairmen under Standing Order 71D; and

(c)the consent of the Minister for Finance, and normal accounting procedures.”.