Expansion to mean 22 committees in Dáil

THE political establishment remains one of the only great institutions in Irish society that remains completely insulated from the cold winds of economic change, it emerged yesterday.

The Government yesterday tabled a motion that will lead to a staggering 22 committees being established in this current Dáil.

A week after Tánaiste Brian Cowen announced a “tight” economic situation next year in his Pre-Budget analysis, Government chief whip Tom Kitt revealed yesterday that the Finance Minister had sanctioned the recruitment of an additional 20 research staff for the expanded committee systems.

The chairs of each committee get an annual salary of €20,000 on top of their €100,000 Dáil salary; the vice-chair is paid a €10,000 yearly stipend and each committee also has a whip worth €5,000 per year.

The expansion of the committee system left the Government open to an accusation of “jobs for the boys”. With the ranks of the junior ministers now swelled to 20, it means that there are very few Fianna Fáil TDs who will not have an extra income.

In addition, each committee is given generous foreign travel allowances that allows most to have at least one long-haul trip abroad each year for four or five of its members.

Mr Kitt yesterday defended the system on the basis that Ireland will have one of the strongest committee systems in Europe. He told RTÉ that committees had played an invaluable role in scrutinising legislation and bringing public institutions to account.

The naming of chairpersons of the new committees has been held back until tomorrow. Independent Kerry TD Jackie Healy-Rae is expected to be given a chair as part of his deal to support Government. Limerick West Deputy John Cregan is also tipped to become the new chair of the Communications Committee.

There has been much speculation about the fate of Noel O’Flynn. The Cork North Central TD was chair of the Communications Committee and will be very disappointed if overlooked by Taoiseach Bertie Ahern.

In a deal brokered with the Government, Fine Gael will now have four chairs of the expanded committees.

There will also be new committees on the Constitution, on the Good Friday Agreement, and on economic and regulatory affairs.

No figures have been divulged as to the overall costs of the parliamentary committees but the bill between salaries, dedicated research staff, broadcasting staff and administrative support runs into several million euro per annum.