Oireachtas petition process must be transparent

As a believer in democracy I welcome the new Oireachtas petitions system whereby any of us can petition the Oireachtas on issues of public concern.

But I would question whether members of the committee to which the petitions will be presented will be capable of dealing with each issue strictly on its own merits. My concern arises from the fact that the Joint Committee on Public Service and Petitions is, like all other Oireachtas committees, composed of politicians — TDs and senators.

I would love to think that each of the politicians on the committee will address the concerns of petitioners fairly and with forensic objectivity, but past experience does not inspire confidence in that regard.