S.I. No. 688/2004 - Oireachtas (Ministerial and Parliamentary Offices) (Secretarial Facilities) (No. 4) Regulations 2004

STATUTORY INSTRUMENTS.

S.I. No. 688 of 2004 .

OIREACHTAS (MINISTERIAL AND PARLIAMENTARY OFFICES) (SECRETARIAL FACILITIES) (No. 4) REGULATIONS 2004.

S.I. No. 688 of 2004 .

OIREACHTAS (MINISTERIAL AND PARLIAMENTARY OFFICES) (SECRETARIAL FACILITIES) (No. 4) REGULATIONS 2004.

The Houses of the Oireachtas Commission, in exercise of the powers conferred on it by section 2(1)(c) of the Oireachtas (Allowances to Members) Act 1962 (inserted by section 3 of the Oireachtas (Miscellaneous Provisions) and Ministerial and Parliamentary Offices (Amendment) Act 1996 and transferred by section 4(3)(b) of the Houses of the Oireachtas Commission Act 2003 ), hereby makes the following regulations:

1. These Regulations may be cited as the Oireachtas (Ministerial and Parliamentary Offices) (Secretarial Facilities) (No. 4) Regulations 2004.

2. In these Regulations:

“the Commission” means the Houses of the Oireachtas Commission established under the Houses of the Oireachtas Commission Act 2003 ;

“the 2003 Regulations” means the Oireachtas (Ministerial and Parliamentary) Offices (Secretarial Facilities) Regulations 2003.

3. Notwithstanding Regulation 3 of the 2003 Regulations, additional secretarial facilities shall be provided by the Commission to members of Dáil Éireann or Seanad Éireann by way of a secretarial facilities fund up to a maximum of €4,000 per member of Dáil Éireann and €1,700 per member of Seanad Éireann, subject to Regulations 4 and 5.

4. Payment from the secretarial facilities fund shall be on the basis of expenditure vouched in accordance with the form set out in the Schedule: provided that no payment in respect of such expenditure shall be made after 31 January 2005.

5. The secretarial facilities fund may be used to pay for secretarial services other than equipment, under one or more contracts for services.

SCHEDULE

CLAIM FORM FOR PAYMENT FROM SECRETARIAL FACILITIES FUND IN ACCORDANCE WITH REGULATION 4 OF S.I. 688/2004

I, the undersigned, certify that

(1)  the following claim for expenses is in respect of secretarial facilities provided solely for the purposes of facilitating my parliamentary duties, in accordance with section 2(1)(c) of the Oireachtas (Allowances to Members) Act 1962 ;

(2)  the work was done to a satisfactory standard and represents value for money;

(3)  the service provider was appropriately qualified to undertake the work; and

(4)  the expenditure was incurred after 31 October 2004 and before 1 January 2005.

Accordingly, I hereby present this claim to be paid out of ongoing expenditure of the Commission. This claim is to be met by way of payment to the service provider listed below.

Certified by: [Deputy/Senator] ___________________ Date: ___________

Invoices will not be processed without a signed version of this form. This form is subject to the provisions of the Freedom of Information Act 1997 .

EXPLANATORY NOTE.

(This note is not part of the Instrument and does not purport to be a legal interpretation.)

The purpose of these Regulations is to make temporary arrangements for additional secretarial services to facilitate the members of the Houses of the Oireachtas in the exercise of their parliamentary duties.