Committee Reports > List of Committees > Joint > 2007 > Committee on Finance and the Public Service > Annual Report of the Joint Committee on Finance and the Public Service, 2007

TITHE AN OIREACHTAIS

An Comhchoiste um Airgeadas agus an tSeirbhís Phoiblí

TUARASCÁIL BHLIANTÚIL 2007

Bealtaine 2007

HOUSES OF THE OIREACHTAS

Joint Committee on Finance and the Public Service

ANNUAL REPORT 2007

May 2007

Table of Contents

1. Content and Format of Report

This Annual Report covers the period from 1^st January to April 29^th 2007

The Report has been prepared pursuant to Standing Order 84 (3), (5) and (6) (Dáil Éireann) and Standing Order 69 (3), (5) and (6) (Seanad Éireann) which provide for the Joint Committee to-

•undertake a review of its procedure and its role generally,

•lay minutes of its proceedings before both Houses, and

•make an annual report to both Houses.

2. Functions and Powers

The Dáil Select Committee was established by Order of Dáil Éireann of 16^th October, 2002, to consider, in respect of the Departments of the Taoiseach and Finance, Bills, Estimates for Public Services and such proposals contained in any motion concerning the approval by the Dáil of international agreements involving a charge on public funds.

Under the same Order, the Dáil Select Committee was enjoined with a Select Committee of Seanad Éireann, established by Order of Seanad Éireann of 17^th October, 2002, to form the Joint Committee on Finance and the Public Service. The principal functions of the Joint Committee are to consider —

•public affairs administered by the Departments of the Taoiseach and Finance, including, in respect of Government policy, bodies under the aegis of those Departments,

•matters of policy for which the Taoiseach and Minister for Finance are officially responsible,

•related policy issues concerning bodies which are partly or wholly funded by the State or which are established or appointed by Members of the Government or by the Oireachtas,

•statutory instruments made by the Taoiseach and the Minister for Finance,

•such proposals for EU legislation and related policy issues as may be referred to it,

•strategy statements laid before the Houses of the Oireachtas by the Taoiseach and the Minister for Finance,

•annual reports and accounts, overall operational results, statements of strategy and corporate plans of bodies under the aegis of the Departments of the Taoiseach and Finance or bodies which are partly or wholly funded by the State or which are established or appointed by Members of the Government or by the Oireachtas.

The Orders of Reference of the Dáil Select Committee and the Joint Committee are set out at Appendix 1.

3. Chairman, Vice-Chairman, Convenors and Membership

Deputy Seán Fleming was elected as Chairman of the Joint Committee on 13 November 2002. Deputy Michael Finneran was elected as vice-Chairman of the Joint Committee on 13 November 2002. The Chairman of the Joint Committee is also Chairman of the Dáil Select Committee.

Deputies M.J. Nolan and Catherine Murphy are the Convenors of the Committee. Their primary function is to ensure the availability and attendance of Members or their substitutes for meetings of the Committee and, in particular, to ensure Members’ availability for divisions.

The Members of the Joint Committee are listed at Appendix 2.

4. Meetings, Attendance and Recording

Meetings of the Joint Committee and Select Committee took place in the committee rooms in Leinster House 2000. Meetings were in public unless otherwise ordered by the Committee.

Televised coverage of public meetings of the Committee was broadcast live within the Leinster House complex and was available for subsequent public broadcasting.

Official Reports (Parliamentary Debates) of the public meetings of the Committee have been, or are in the process of being, published. These may be purchased from the Government Publications Sales Office, Sun Alliance House, Molesworth Street, Dublin 2. The Official Reports may also be viewed on the Houses of the Oireachtas website at www.irlgov.ie/oireachtas.

Copies of other reports published by the Joint Committee may be obtained from the Clerk, Joint Committee on Finance and the Public Service, Kildare House, Kildare Street, Dublin 2. These reports are listed in paragraph 7. Recent and future reports may also be viewed on the Houses of the Oireachtas website.

5. Number and Duration of Meetings

The Joint Committee met on 7 occasions in the period under report. These meetings involved more than 8.5 hours of hours discussion.

The Dáil Select Committee met on 8 occasions in the period under report. These meetings involved more than 20 hours discussion.

6. Work of the Committee

6.1 Joint Committee

On the 7 occasions the Joint Committee met, it dealt with the following matters:

Procedural reports

The Committee agreed and laid before both Houses reports on the following issues:

•Annual Report 2006

•Interim Report on Under-Claiming of Tax Credits, Allowances and Relief by Taxpayers

Scrutiny of proposals for EU legislation

The attention of the Committee was drawn by the Sub-Committee on European Scrutiny to a large number of proposals for EU legislation. The Committee scrutinised a number of proposals and reported its opinions to both Houses of the Oireachtas on the following proposals.

•EU Scrutiny report on COM(2005)261: Proposal for a Council Directive on passenger car related taxes.

Report no.13

•EU Scrutiny report on COM(2005)334: Amended Proposal for a Council Directive amending Directive 77/388/EEC as regards the place of supply of services.

Report no.14

•EU Scrutiny report on COM(2003)371: Amended proposal for a Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council on the prevention of money laundering by means of customs cooperation

Report no.15

•EU Scrutiny report on COM(2003)78: Proposal for a Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council amending Regulation (EEC) No 218/92 on administrative co-operation in the field of indirect taxation (VAT) as regards additional measures regarding supplies of travel services.

Report no.16

•EU Scrutiny report on COM(2003)335: Proposal for a Council Directive amending Directive 77/388/CEE concerning the common system of value added tax, as regards conferment of implementing powers and the procedure for adopting derogations.

Report no.16 (combined with above)

•EU Scrutiny report on COM (2005) 608: Proposal for a Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council laying down the Community Customs Code (Modernised Customs Code)

Report no.17

•EU Scrutiny report on COM (2005) 609: Proposal for a Decision of the European Parliament and of the Council on a paperless environment for Customs and Trade

Report no.18

•EU Scrutiny report on COM (2006) 507: Proposal for a Directive on mergers and acquisitions (M&A) in the banking, insurance and securities sectors

Report no.19

•EU Scrutiny report on COM (2005) 507: Proposal for a Directive of the European Parliament and of the Council on Improving the Portability of Supplementary Pension Rights

Report no.20

•EU Scrutiny report on COM (2006) 202: Proposal for a Decision of the European Parliament and of the Council establishing a Community programme to improve the operation of taxation systems in the internal market (Fiscalis 2013).

Report no.21

•EU Scrutiny report on Com (2006) 213 final:Proposal for a Council Regulation amending Regulation (EC, Euratom) No 1605/2002 on the Financial Regulation applicable to the general budget of the European Communities.

Report no.22

•EU Scrutiny report on Com (2004) 509 final: Proposal for a Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council on mutual administrative assistance for the protection of the financial interests of the Community against fraud and any other illegal activities.

Report no.23

•EU Scrutiny report on Com (2006) 473 final :Amended Proposal for a Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council on mutual administrative assistance for the protection of the financial interests of the Community against fraud and any other illegal activities.

Report no.23 (combined with above).

Other Issues

•Pensions: discussion with the Association of Retired Prison Officers.

•Under claiming of tax reliefs by the tax payer.

•The principal of acceptance by public bodies of recommendations of the Ombudsman.

Visiting delegations

•The Committee discussed matters of mutual interest with Members of the Treasury Committee from the House of Commons

•Exchange of views with the Budget Committee of the Parliament of the Czech Republic

6.2 Dáil Select Committee

The Dáil Select Committee considered the following matters which had been referred to it by the Dáil during the period under report:

Bills

•Finance Bill 2007.

•National Development Finance Agency (Amendment) Bill 2006

•Statute Law Revision Bill 2007.

Estimates for Public Services

•2007 Revised Estimates for Public Services — Finance Group and 2007 Output Statement for the Department of Finance.

•Vote 1 - President’s Establishment

•Vote 5 - Office of Comptroller and Auditor General

•Vote 6 - Office of the Minister for Finance

•Vote 7 - Superannuation and Retired Allowances

•Vote 8 - Office of the Appeal Commissioners

•Vote 9 - Office of the Revenue Commissioners

•Vote 11 - State Laboratory

•Vote 12 - Secret Service

•Vote 15 - Valuation Office

•Vote 16 - Public Appointments Service

•Vote 17 - Office of the Commission for Public Service Appointments

•Vote 18 - Office of the Ombudsman

•Consideration of Supplementary Estimates:

○2007 Revised Estimates for Public Services - Vote 10 (Office of Public Works) and 2007 Output Statement for the Office of Public Works

○2007 Revised Estimates for Public Services — Taoiseach’s Group and 2007 Output Statement for the Department of the Taoiseach

•Vote 2 (Department of the Taoiseach) (Revised Estimate)

•Vote 3 (Office of the Attorney General) (Revised Estimate)

•Vote 4 (Central Statistics Office) (Revised Estimate)

•Vote 13 (Office of the Chief State Solicitor) (Revised Estimate)

•Vote 14 (Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions) (Revised Estimate)

Motions

•Consideration of Motion re Finance Act 2004 (Section 91)(Deferred Surrender to the Central Fund) Order 2007.

7. Work in Progress

The following work was commenced by the Joint Committee in 2006 and will be continued in 2007:

The Committee agreed to...the issue of the Principle of Acceptance by Public Bodies of

Recommendations of the Ombudsman. A draft report has been produced but was held over after the dissolution of the 29^th Dáil.

8. Travel

Expenditure from the Joint Committee’s budgetary allocation for travel was incurred in the course of the following work done on behalf of the Committee in accordance with its Orders of Reference and in connection with its Work Programme:

•Fact-finding Visit to New Zealand 25 January — 5 February 200 . The travelling delegation included M. J. Nolan TD, Paul McGrath TD and Senator Joe O’Toole. The Clerk to the Committee, Mr. John Hamilton accompanied the delegation and acted as secretary.

9. Review of Procedures and Role

The Joint Committee is satisfied with its present procedures and role. The Joint Committee will, however, keep its procedures and role under review and report, as appropriate, to the Committee(s) on Procedure and Privilege(s).

__________________

Mr. Seán Fleming T.D.

Chairman

Joint Committee on Finance and the Public Service.

May 2007.