Joint Committee on the Constitution

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Joint Committee on the Constitution

2 July 2003 - 31 July 2003

Members of the Joint Committee

Deputies

Denis O'Donovan
Barry Andrews
Jimmy Devins
Peter Power
Padraic McCormack
Dan Neville
Jan O'Sullivan
Arthur Morgan
Ciarán Cuffe
James Breen

Senators

Brendan Daly
John Dardis
Ann Ormonde
Joanna Tuffy

Orders of Reference - Dáil Éireann
Orders of Reference - Seanad Éireann

Clerk to the Committee: Committee Secretariat

e-mail: comm.sec@oireachtas.ie

Phone: + 353 (0) 1 618 3000

Fax: + 353 (0) 1 618 4123

Leinster House
Kildare Street
Dublin 2
Ireland

Orders of Reference - Dáil Éireann

Resolution of Dáil Éireann 2 July 2003

Comhchoiste ar an mBunreacht a Bhunú: Tairiscint.

Establishment of Joint Committee on the Constitution: Motion.

Minister of State at the Department of the Taoiseach (Ms Hanafin): Molaim an rún:

11. "D'ainneoin aon ní sna Buan-Orduithe, de bhrí go bhfuil Coiste Uile-Pháirtí an Oireachtais ar an mBunreacht ag gabháil d'athbhreithniú iomlán ar an mBunreacht ar bhonn Uile-Pháirtí ó bunaíodh é i mí Iúil 1996 agus ó athbhunaíodh é i mí Dheireadh Fómhair 1997 agus arís i mí na Nollag 2002 agus na téarmaí tagartha seo a leanas aige:

'D'fhonn díriú ar ionad agus ar ábharthacht an Bhunreachta agus d'fhonn a chinneadh cad iad na réimsí ina bhféadfaidh sé a bheith inmhianaithe nó riachtanach athrú a dhéanamh ar an mBunreacht, rachaidh an Coiste Uile-Pháirtí i mbun athbhreithniú iomlán ar an mBunreacht. Le linn dó a bheith i mbun an athbhreithnithe sin, beidh aird ag an gCoiste Uile-Pháirtí ar na nithe seo a leanas:

(a) Tuarascáil an Ghrúpa Athbhreithnithe ar an mBunreacht;

(b) nach ngabhfadh aon oibleagáid le rannpháirtíocht sa Choiste Uile-Pháirtí maidir le tacú le haon mholtaí a dhéanfaí, fiú amháin dá ndéanfaí d'aon ghuth iad;

(c) nach measfaí comhaltaí an Choiste Uile-Pháirtí, mar dhaoine aonair ná mar ionadaithe Páirtí, a bheith faoi cheangal ar aon slí ó thaobh tacú le moltaí den sórt sin;

(d) go gcoimeádfaidh comhaltaí an Choiste Uile-Pháirtí a dTreoraithe Páirtí faoi seach ar an eolas ó am go ham faoi dhul chun cinn obair an Choiste;

(e) nach mbeadh cosc ar aon cheann de na páirtithe, sa Rialtas ná sa Fhreasúra, plé le hábhair atá laistigh de théarmaí tagartha an Choiste Uile-Pháirtí le linn dó a bheith ina shuí, agus

(f) an bhféadfadh dréacht amháin a bheith ann maidir le leasuithe neamhchonspóideacha ar an mBunreacht chun plé le hábhair theicniúla.',

féadfaidh Coiste Uilepháirtí an Oireachtais ar an mBunreacht suí mar Chomhchoiste de dhá Theach an Oireachtais agus chun na críche sin:

(1) Déanfar Roghchoiste, ar a mbeidh na comhaltaí de Dháil Éireann atá leagtha amach sa Sceideal a ghabhann leis an Rún seo, a cheapadh a bheidh le comhcheangal le Roghchoiste a cheapfaidh Seanad Éireann chun bheith ina Chomhchoiste ar an mBunreacht chun ábhair a bhreithniú a chuimsítear leis an réamhrá a ghabhann leis an Rún seo agus, go háirithe, saincheisteanna a bhaineann le cearta maoine, sa tslí chéanna, de réir mar a roghnóidh sé agus is cuí leis agus tabharfaidh sé tuarascáil orthu sin do dhá Theach an Oireachtais.

(2) 3 is córam don Chomhchoiste, agus comhalta de Dháil Éireann a bheidh i nduine amháin díobh ar a laghad agus comhalta de Sheanad Éireann a bheidh i nduine amháin díobh ar a laghad.

(3) Beidh ag an gComhchoiste na cumhachtaí a mhínítear i mBuan-Ordú 81(1), (2), (3), (4) agus (8).

(4) Is é an Teachta Donnacadha Ó Donnabháin Cathaoirleach an Chomhchoiste agus is é an Teachta Pádraic Mac Cormaic Leas-Chathaoirleach an Chomhchoiste.

(5) Scoirfidh an Rún seo d'éifeacht a bheith leis an 31 Iúil, 2003.

AN SCEIDEAL

Na Teachtaí:-

Donnacadha Ó Donnabháin

Barra Mac Aindriú

Séamus Ó Daimhín

Peadar de Paor

Pádraic Mac Cormaic

Dónal Ó Niaidh

Jan Uí Shúilleabháin

Art Ó Muireagáin

Ciarán Mac Dhuibh

James Breen

I move:

That, notwithstanding anything in Standing Orders, whereas the All-Party Oireachtas Committee on the Constitution has been involved in a full review of the Constitution on an All-Party basis since its establishment in July 1996, and re-establishment in October 1997 and again in December 2002 with the following terms of reference:

'In order to provide focus to the place and relevance of the Constitution and to establish those areas where Constitutional change may be desirable or necessary, the All-Party Committee will complete a full review of the Constitution. In undertaking this review, the All-Party Committee will have regard to the following:

(a) the Report of the Constitution Review Group;

(b) participation in the All-Party Committee would involve no obligation to support any recommendations which might be made, even if made unanimously;

(c) members of the All-Party Committee, either as individuals or as Party representatives, would not be regarded as committed in any way to support such recommendations;

(d) members of the All-Party Committee shall keep their respective Party Leaders informed from time to time of the progress of the Committee's work;

(e) none of the parties, in Government or Opposition, would be precluded from dealing with matters within the All-Party Committee's terms of reference while it is sitting, and

(f) whether there might be a single draft on non-controversial amendments to the Constitution to deal with technical matters.',

the All-Party Oireachtas Committee on the Constitution may sit as a Joint Committee of both Houses of the Oireachtas and for this purpose:

(1) A Select Committee, consisting of the members of Dáil Éireann set out in the Schedule to this Resolution be appointed to be joined with a Select Committee to be appointed by Seanad Éireann to form the Joint Committee on the Constitution to consider matters comprehended by the preamble to this Resolution and, in particular, issues relating to property rights, in like manner, as it may select and see fit and shall report thereon to both Houses of the Oireachtas.

(2) The quorum of the Joint Committee shall be 3, of whom at least 1 shall be a member of Dáil Éireann and 1 a member of Seanad Éireann.

(3) The Joint Committee shall have the powers defined in Standing Order 81(1), (2), (3), (4) and (8).

(4) The Chairman of the Joint Committee shall be Deputy Denis O'Donovan, and the vice-Chairman of the Joint Committee shall be Deputy Padraic McCormack.

(5) This Resolution shall cease to have effect on 31st July, 2003.

SCHEDULE

Deputies:-

Denis O'Donovan

Barry Andrews

Jimmy Devins

Peter Power

Padraic McCormack

Dan Neville

Jan O'Sullivan

Arthur Morgan

Ciarán Cuffe

James Breen.".

Cuireadh agus aontaíodh an cheist.

Question put and agreed to.

Orders of Reference - Seanad Éireann

Resolution of Seanad Éireann 1 July 2003

All-Party Oireachtas Committee on the Constitution: Motion.

Ms O'Rourke: I move:

'In order to provide focus to the place and relevance of the Constitution and to establish those areas where Constitutional change may be desirable or necessary, the All-Party Committee will complete a full review of the Constitution. In undertaking this review, the All-Party Committee will have regard to the following:

(a) the Report of the Constitution Review Group;

(b) participation in the All-Party Committee would involve no obligation to support any recommendations which might be made, even if made unanimously;

(c) members of the All-Party Committee, either as individuals or as Party representatives, would not be regarded as committed in any way to support such recommendations;

(d) members of the All-Party Committee shall keep their respective Party Leaders informed from time to time of the progress of the Committee's work;

(e) none of the parties, in Government or Opposition, would be precluded from dealing with matters within the All-Party Committee's terms of reference while it is sitting, and

(f) whether there might be a single draft on non-controversial amendments to the Constitution to deal with technical matters.',

the All-Party Oireachtas Committee on the Constitution may sit as a Joint Committee of both Houses of the Oireachtas and for this purpose:

(1) A Select Committee, consisting of the members of Seanad Éireann set out in the Schedule to this Resolution be appointed to be joined with a Select Committee to be appointed by Dáil Éireann to form the Joint Committee on the Constitution to consider matters comprehended by the preamble to this Resolution and, in particular, issues relating to property rights, in like manner, as it may select and see fit and shall report thereon to both Houses of the Oireachtas.

(2) The quorum of the Joint Committee shall be 3, of whom at least 1 shall be a member of Dáil Éireann and 1 a member of Seanad Éireann.

(3) The Joint Committee shall have the powers defined in Standing Order 65(1), (2), (3), (4) and (8).

(4) The Chairman of the Joint Committee shall be Deputy Denis O'Donovan and the vice-Chairman of the Joint Committee shall be Deputy Padraic McCormack.

(5) This Resolution shall cease to have effect on 31st July, 2003.

SCHEDULE

Senators:-

Brendan Daly

John Dardis

Ann Ormonde

Joanna Tuffy.

Question put and agreed to.

Joint Committee Debates (unrevised)

15 July 2003 Property Rights:Presentation
16 July 2003 Property Rights:Presentation
17 July 2003 Property Rights:Presentation
22 July 2003 Property Rights: Presentations
23 July 2003 Property Rights: Presentations