CONCERNS ABOUT the rules governing the use of Dáil facilities by outgoing TDs in general election campaigns have been raised by the Standards in Public Office Commission.
In its annual report for 2010, commission chairman Mr Justice Mathew Smith has also proposed that, in future, reports under the Ethics Acts should go directly to the Houses of the Oireachtas rather than to the Minister for Finance.
Mr Justice Smith pointed to a number of necessary changes to the ethics, electoral and party leaders allowance legislation, which it has already raised in previous reports.
“To ensure a level playing field between candidates at elections and in order to ensure transparency, the standards commission emphasises that the use of public funds for electoral purposes should form part of electoral law and not legislation dealing with the Houses of the Oireachtas Commission.
“An example cited by the commission is the use by outgoing members of Oireachtas resources and facilities following the dissolution of Dáil Éireann. The commission will comment further on this in its forthcoming report on the 2011 general election.”
Mr Justice Smith said the commission’s annual reports were furnished to the Minister for Finance, who must lay the annual report before each House of the Oireachtas within two months. In contrast to the commission, independent office holders, such as the Comptroller and Auditor General and the ombudsman, submit their reports directly to the Oireachtas.
“The standards commission considers that its independence should be similarly recognised.”
The report welcomed the proposals in the Programme for National Recovery 2011-2016 for wide-ranging legislative changes which will address several of the commission’s concerns.
