Dáil votes to force Watt to appear before committee over Holohan secondment

Seeking to force witnesses to appear is a power that committees rarely use

Ceann Comhairle Seán Ó Fearghaíl has told the Finance Committee to say its application for compellability of witnesses related to the controversy has been approved and will go before the Dáil for a vote.

The Dáil has voted to force top official Robert Watt to appear before the Oireachtas Finance Committee to answer questions on the botched secondment of former chief medical officer Dr Tony Holohan to Trinity College Dublin.

Ceann Comhairle Seán Ó Fearghaíl has written to the Finance Committee to say its application for compellability of witnesses related to the controversy has been approved and will go before the Dáil for a vote.

Seeking to force witnesses to appear is a rare power exercised by committees, but Mr Watt — the secretary general of the Department of Health — has been severely criticised by the Finance Committee for his lack of co-operation in its investigation into the now-abandoned move of the former CMO to TCD.

In his letter to the committee chair, John McGuinness, Mr Ó Fearghaíl said the application was considered at the most recent meeting of the Dáil Committee on Parliamentary Privileges and Oversight (CPPO).

“I can advise that CPPO has agreed to recommend to Dáil Éireann that the power to send for persons, papers and records be included in the Joint Committee’s Order of Reference, but solely for the purposes of the examination of the policies and procedures relating to public service secondments, in the context of the proposed secondment of the Chief Medical Officer to the position of Professor of Public Health Leadership and Strategy at Trinity College Dublin,” Mr Ó Fearghaíl said.

That motion will be debated by the Dáil on foot of that decision.

Once the Joint Committee’s Orders of Reference have been amended, CPPO may then consider whether its written consent, required before a direction pursuant to section 83 of the Houses of the Oireachtas (Inquiries, Privilege and Procedures) Act 2013 may issue, should be granted.

Subject to the approval of the motions in both Houses and pending the next meeting of the CPPO, it suggests that the Oireachtas Finance Committee may wish to consider further correspondence with the Secretary-General of the Department of Health seeking his voluntary attendance before the Committee, Mr O Fearghail said.

Speaking to the Irish Examiner, Mr McGuinness said he welcomed the decision as it enables the Oireachtas Committee to carry out its work to scrutinise the issue which is what it was elected to do. 

"The decision underlines the significant role that Dáil committees play in the democratic process and the obligations on Secretaries-General of government departments to make themselves available to account for their actions," he said.