Ireland

Proposal to grant 'standing invitees' status to northern MPs and MLAs on special Oireachtas committees is voted down

Sinn Féin Senator Niall Ó Donnghaile. Picture by Brian Lawless/PA Wire
Sinn Féin Senator Niall Ó Donnghaile. Picture by Brian Lawless/PA Wire Sinn Féin Senator Niall Ó Donnghaile. Picture by Brian Lawless/PA Wire

A PROPSAL to give 'standing invitees' status for northern MPs and MLAs on special Oireachtas committees has been rejected amid claims that it could have "legal or constitutional implications".

Wednesday's meeting of the Dáil Reform Committee saw a bid to grant Stormont and Westminster elected represenatives places on some Oireachtas committees defeated.

Sinn Féin has criticised a majority of committee members who voted against the proposal, including representatives from Fianna Fáil, Fine Gael, the Greens, Labour, Social Democrats and independents.

The Irish News revealed earlier this week that Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald had written to Taoiseach Micheál Martin and the leaders of the other coalition parties voicing her disappointment at their decision to veto the proposal.

Mrs McDonald said she had been given the impression up until recently that the government parties supported the move.

A spokesperson for the taoiseach's office said the creation of standing invitees could "amount to de-facto membership of an Oireachtas committee which may have legal or constitutional implications".

"The structure of standing invitees would be very different to the current system of d’Hondt membership and it is not clear the proposal would have ensured balanced representation," the spokesperson said.

"The proposal would also affect fully elected members of the Oireachtas’ speaking time and their central role as full members of the Oireachtas committee as provided for in the constitution."

Sinn Féin Seanad leader Niall Ó Donnghaile said the decision not to back the proposal was "deeply disappointing and flies in the face of the government’s promises to support all-island co-operation and dialogue".

He said "positive discussions" had taken over recent months about a move he said would "enhance the committees’ work by bringing an important perspective to issues which affect people across the island".

Mr Ó Donnghaile told The Irish News that the committee's rejection "sends a very negative message to people in the north".

“On issues such as improving autism services, it is simply common sense to include northern representatives on the special Oireachtas committee as the all-Ireland Autism Centre is based in Armagh and receives funding from both the Belfast and Dublin governments," the senator said.

"The decision to exclude MLAs and MPs from discussions about this is shocking and only hinders the committee’s work."

He said Sinn Féin would continue to push for the proposal to be adopted.

"The government cannot pay lip service to the idea of all-island dialogue but then fail to follow through with practical steps that would make a real difference to people in the north," he said.