Houses of the Oireachtas Commission (Amendment) (No. 2) Act 2012

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Number 50 of 2012

HOUSES OF THE OIREACHTAS COMMISSION (AMENDMENT) (NO. 2) ACT 2012

ARRANGEMENT OF SECTIONS

Section

1. Definition.

2. Amendment of section 5 (funding of Commission) of Principal Act.

3. Amendment of Schedule 1 (ongoing expenditure) to Principal Act.

4. Amendment of Schedule 2 (receipts of Commission) to Principal Act.

5. Short title, collective citation and commencement.

Acts Referred to

Number 50 of 2012

HOUSES OF THE OIREACHTAS COMMISSION (AMENDMENT) (NO. 2) ACT 2012

AN ACT TO AMEND THE HOUSES OF THE OIREACHTAS COMMISSION ACT 2003 AND TO PROVIDE FOR RELATED MATTERS.

[26th December, 2012]

BE IT ENACTED BY THE OIREACHTAS AS FOLLOWS:

Definition.

1.— In this Act “Principal Act” means the Houses of the Oireachtas Commission Act 2003 .

Amendment of section 5 (funding of Commission) of Principal Act.

2.— The Principal Act is amended by substituting the following for section 5:

“5.— (1) Subject to subsection (2), the expenditure incurred by the Commission in the performance of its functions during the period of 3 years from 1 January 2013, shall, with the approval of the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform, be charged on and paid out of the Central Fund or the growing produce of that Fund by the Minister for Finance.

(2) Not more than the sum of €324,000,000 shall be so charged and paid out.

(3) Receipts of the Commission specified in Schedule 2 shall be used by it for the purposes of the performance of its functions and the annual value of such receipts shall be duly deducted from the sum specified in subsection (2) and accounted for.”.

Amendment of Schedule 1 (ongoing expenditure) to Principal Act.

3.— The Principal Act is amended by substituting for Schedule 1 the following:

“SCHEDULE 1

ONGOING EXPENDITURE

1. Administration—

(a) Salaries, wages and allowances in respect of staff of the Houses of the Oireachtas Service.

(b) Travel and subsistence.

(c) Training and development and incidental expenses.

(d) Postal and telecommunications services.

(e) Office equipment and external IT services.

(f) Office premises expenses.

(g) Consultancy services and value for money and policy review.

(h) Parliamentary printing.

(i) Library and research services.

(j) Public relations and communications.

2. Other services—

(a) Payment in respect of catering and bar staff.

(b) Expenses of delegates to other parliamentary assemblies.

(c) Televising of proceedings of Dáil Éireann and Seanad Éireann and other services.

(d) Grant-in-aid in respect of inter-parliamentary activities.

(e) Grant-in-aid to British-Irish Parliamentary Assembly.

(f) North/South Inter-Parliamentary Association.

(g) Termination allowances in respect of former members of the Houses of the Oireachtas.

(h) Grant to Irish Parliamentary (former Members) Society.

(i) Grant-in-aid in respect of “Ciste Pinsean Thithe an Oireachtais”.

(j) Pension scheme for secretarial assistants.

3. Membership of Dáil Éireann—

(a) Salaries of members (including Office Holders and Chairpersons of Committees).

(b) Payments in respect of secretarial assistance for non-office holding members.

(c) Travel and Accommodation Allowance.

(d) Public Representation Allowance.

(e) Other allowances.

4. Membership of Seanad Éireann—

(a) Salaries of members (including Office Holders and Chairpersons of Committees).

(b) Payments in respect of secretarial assistance for non-office holding members.

(c) Travel and Accommodation Allowance.

(d) Public Representation Allowance.

(e) Other allowances.

5. Membership of Oireachtas Committees—

(a) Travel expenses.

(b) Other expenses relating to Committees.

6. Membership of European Parliament—

(a) Salaries of members of the European Parliament.

(b) Pensions of former members of the European Parliament.”.

Amendment of Schedule 2 (receipts of Commission) to Principal Act.

4.— Schedule 2 to the Principal Act is amended by deleting paragraphs 1 and 2.

Short title, collective citation and commencement.

5.— (1) This Act may be cited as the Houses of the Oireachtas Commission (Amendment) (No. 2) Act 2012.

(2) The Houses of the Oireachtas Commission Acts 2003 to 2009 and this Act, may be cited together as the Houses of the Oireachtas Commission Acts 2003 to 2012.

(3) This Act comes into operation on 1 January 2013.