‘Ghost committee’ sitting on hands over red tape
THE embattled Oireachtas Petitions Committee has yet to hear a single petition since being set up six months ago, the Irish Mail on Sunday has learned.
The Petitions Committee aims to ‘give citizens an opportunity to interact with the parliamentary system on matters of general public concern or interest’.
But the ongoing absence of a schedule has created serious internal concerns over the purpose and future of what one source branded: ‘A ghost committee.’
Members of the public may submit petitions to the Joint Committee on Public Petitions, and the previous condition was that only one signature was needed.
If a petition is in order, the committee is empowered to seek oral or written evidence from relevant Government departments, ministers and other bodies and agencies.
This, the committee claims, enables members to ‘take their policy concerns directly to the heart of parliament and to influence the parliamentary agenda’.
Sources within the committee have claimed that one factor in restricting its capacity to even receive – let alone deal – with petitions is an ongoing examination of its Standing Orders.
This means that even if individuals contact the committee they will, one source claimed: ‘Simply be told that at this point there is no point in sending requests for permission to send or conduct a petition.’
Committee chairman, Sinn Féin TD Martin Browne, has previously said: ‘The main objective of the Joint Committee on Public Petitions is to review its Terms of Reference, as decided by committee members.’
This, he said, could only be done in private session and the committee, which has met just twice, had a target date of last Tuesday to approve that report in a public session.
Sources within the committee have expressed unease over the delays, saying: ‘There is very real danger of reputational damage to the committee if all these issues are not shortly resolved. It is essentially a ghost committee.’
Mr Browne told the Irish Mail on
Sunday yesterday: ‘Due to Covid-19 restrictions, the Joint Committee on Public Petitions has not been able to meet as regularly as I and other members would have hoped.
‘Despite this, the committee is proceeding with its work programme and revised Terms of Reference for the committee are being distributed to members tomorrow, which I hope will be agreed this week.
‘This work must be completed before the committee can deal with public petitions.’
He added: ‘The committee will be meeting in public session on Tuesday with the European Ombudsman, Ms Emily O’Reilly. This follows on from an engagement earlier this month with the Irish Ombudsman Forum.’