Houses of the Oireachtas Commission (Amendment) Act 2006

What is this act about?

This law amends and expands the Houses of the Oireachtas Commission Act 2003, primarily focusing on the functions, funding, and operational procedures of the Houses of the Oireachtas Commission.

Who it applies to: The Houses of the Oireachtas Commission and its members; Members of Dáil Éireann and Seanad Éireann.

Deadlines:

The expenditure for the Commission for the 3-year period from January 1, 2007, is charged on the Central Fund, with a maximum of €393,000,000.

At a glance

Country: Ireland
Area of law: Procedural law
Articles: 13
Source: irishstatutebook.ie
Text retrieved: 2026-06-17
Explanation updated: 2026-07-07

What does this act regulate?

The functions and responsibilities of the Houses of the Oireachtas Commission.
The funding mechanisms for the Commission's operations.
The procedures for meetings and the establishment of committees within the Commission.
The transfer of certain liabilities and the management of accounts for the Commission.

Who does this act apply to?

The Houses of the Oireachtas Commission and its members.
Members of Dáil Éireann and Seanad Éireann.

What are the key points?

The Commission's functions now include providing for the running of the Houses of the Oireachtas, having charge of the Office of the Houses of the Oireachtas, and providing translation services for Acts of the Oireachtas.
The Commission can prepare and publish guidelines for members of Dáil Éireann and Seanad Éireann regarding the use of publicly funded services and facilities, and may specify charges for non-representative duties.
The expenditure for the Commission for the 3-year period from January 1, 2007, is charged on the Central Fund, with a maximum of €393,000,000.
The Commission must provide itself with a seal, authenticated by the signatures of the chairperson (or authorised member) and an authorised staff member.

Procedural law

Licensing (Renewal of Licences) Act, 1923

Misuse of Drugs Act, 1984

Children Act, 1997

Courts (No. 2) Act, 1986

Animals Act, 1985

Regional Technical Colleges (Amendment) Act, 1994

Irish Legal Terms Act, 1945

Industrial Development (Encouragement of External Investment) Act, 1958

Procedural law

Legal text

Contents (13)

Section 1
Section 2
Section 3
Section 4
Section 5
Section 6
Section 7
Section 8
Section 9
Section 10
Section 11
Section 12
Section 13

Houses of the Oireachtas Commission (Amendment) Act 2006 Skip to content Disclaimer Feedback Helpdesk Gaeilge Léim go dtí an t-ábhar Séanadh Aiseolas Deasc chabhrach English Gaeilge English Produced by the Office of the Attorney General Táirgthe ag Oifig an Ard-Aighne Home Legislation Acts of the Oireachtas Statutory Instruments Pre-1922 Legislation Constitution External Resources Bills (Houses of the Oireachtas) Iris Oifigiúil / Official Gazette Revised Acts (LRC) Classified List of Legislation (LRC) Translations (acts.ie) Translations (Houses of the Oireachtas) Government Publications for Sale EU Law (EUR-Lex) FAQ Disclaimer Feedback Helpdesk Search Baile Reachtaíocht Achtanna an Oireachtais Ionstraimí Reachtúla Reachtaíocht Réamh-1922 Bunreacht Acmhainní Seachtracha Billí (Tithe an Oireachtais) Iris Oifigiúil Achtanna Athbhreithnithe (CAD) (An Coimisiún um Athchóiriú an Dlí) Liosta Rangaithe Reachtaíochta Aistriúcháin (achtanna.ie) Aistriúcháin (Tithe an Oireachtais) Foilseacháin Rialtais ar Díol Dlí AE (EUR-Lex) CCanna (Ceisteanna Coitianta) Séanadh Aiseolas Deasc chabhrach Cuardach TitleTeideal Year(s) or rangeBliain nó blianta nó raon TypeCineál All Legislation Acts Statutory Instruments Advanced SearchCuardach Casta HomeBaile ActsAchtanna 2006 Houses of the Oireachtas Commission (Amendment) Act 2006 Houses of the Oireachtas Commission (Amendment) Act 2006 Permanent Page URL View by SectionAmharc de réir Ailt View Full ActAmharc ar an Acht Iomlán Bill History Stair Bille Commencement, Amendments, SIs made under the Act Tosach Feidhme, Leasuithe, IRí arna ndéanamh faoin Acht Open PDFOscail PDF Print Full ActPriontáil an tAcht Iomlán Number 39 of 2006 HOUSES OF THE OIREACHTAS COMMISSION (AMENDMENT) ACT 2006 ARRANGEMENT OF SECTIONS Section

Section 1

1.Definition.

Section 2

2.Amendment of section 2 (interpretation) of Principal Act.

Section 3

3.Amendment of section 4 (functions of Commission) of Principal Act.

Section 4

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

Section 5

5.Amendment of section 10 (meetings) of Principal Act.

Section 6

6.Committees of Commission.

Section 7

7.Amendment of section 11 (transfer of rights and liabilities) of Principal Act.

Section 8

8.Amendment of section 13 (annual estimate of ongoing expenditure) of Principal Act.

Section 9

9.Amendment of section 14 (accounts) of Principal Act.

Section 10

10.Amendment of section 16 (functions of the Secretary General) of Principal Act.

Section 11

11.Seal of Commission.

Section 12

12.Amendment of section 2 (interpretation) of Freedom of Information Act 1997.

Section 13

13.Short title, collective citation and commencement.

Acts Referred to Ethics in Public Office Act 1995 1995, No. 22 Freedom of Information Act 1997 1997, No. 13 Houses of the Oireachtas Commission Act 2003 2003, No. 28 Oireachtas (Allowances to Members) Acts 1938 to 1998 Number 39 of 2006 HOUSES OF THE OIREACHTAS COMMISSION (AMENDMENT) ACT 2006 AN ACT TO AMEND AND EXTEND THE HOUSES OF THE OIREACHTAS COMMISSION ACT 2003 AND TO PROVIDE FOR RELATED MATTERS. [23rd December, 2006] 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 2 (interpretation) of Principal Act.

2.— Section 2 of the Principal Act is amended in subsection (1)— (a) by inserting the following after the definition of “Minister’s representative”: “ ‘ Office of the Houses of the Oireachtas ’ means the office of the public service that is staffed by civil servants of the State, employed by the Commission, who exercise functions under the Commission in running the Houses of the Oireachtas pursuant to section 4(1);”, (b) by substituting the following for the definition of “Oireachtas Committee”: “ ‘ Oireachtas Committee ’ means— (a) a Committee (other than the Committee of Dáil Éireann and the Committee of Seanad Éireann to which section 8 of the Ethics in Public Office Act 1995 relates) appointed by either House of the Oireachtas or jointly by both Houses of the Oireachtas, or (b) a subcommittee of such a Committee;”.

Amendment of section 4 (functions of Commission) of Principal Act.

3.— (1) Section 4 of the Principal Act is amended by substituting the following for subsection (1): “(1) The functions of the Commission are— (a) to provide for the running of the Houses of the Oireachtas, and (b) to have charge of the Office of the Houses of the Oireachtas.”.

(2)Section 4 of the Principal Act is amended by inserting the following subsection after subsection (2): “(2A) It shall also be a function of the Commission to provide translation services from one official language into the other in respect of Acts of the Oireachtas.”.

(3)Section 4 of the Principal Act is amended by inserting the following subsection after subsection (4): “(4A) The Commission may prepare and publish guidelines for members of Dáil Éireann and Seanad Éireann in relation to the use of services and facilities provided out of public funds and— (a) may provide such services and facilities following a dissolution of Dáil Éireann, and (b) shall specify an appropriate charge for such use made other than in respect of duties as public representatives.”.

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

4.— Section 5 of the Principal Act is amended by substituting the following for subsections (1) and (2): “(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 2007, shall be charged on and paid out of the Central Fund, or the growing produce thereof.

(2)Not more than the sum of €393,000,000 shall be so charged and paid out.”.

Amendment of section 10 (meetings) of Principal Act.

5.— Section 10 of the Principal Act is amended by inserting the following after subsection (5): “(6) Each member of the Commission present at a meeting of the Commission shall have a vote.

(7)Every question at a meeting of the Commission shall be determined by a majority of the votes of the members present and voting on the question and, in the case of an equal division of votes, the question shall be decided in the negative.

(8)Subject to this Act, the Commission shall regulate the procedure and business of the Commission and of any committee established under section 10A.”.

Committees of Commission.

6.— The Principal Act is amended by inserting the following section after section 10: “10A.— The Commission may from time to time establish such committees of the Commission as it thinks fit to do either or both of the following: (a) advise in relation to the performance of its functions, and (b) perform any of its functions, other than the Commission’s functions under this section to establish committees, as the Commission may specify.”.

Amendment of section 11 (transfer of rights and liabilities) of Principal Act.

7.— Section 11 of the Principal Act is amended by inserting the following after subsection (1): “(1A) (a) The Commission shall discharge any liabilities of the Minister which arise or have arisen in respect of a person who is or was employed— (i) as a civil servant of the State by the Commission, (ii) as a member of the joint staff of the Houses of the Oireachtas or as an officer of Dáil Éireann or Seanad Éireann, or (iii) by— (I) a member of Dáil Éireann or of Seanad Éireann solely in connection with the member’s parliamentary duties, or (II) a qualifying party for the purposes of facilitating the parliamentary activities of its elected members, in accordance with regulations made under the Oireachtas (Allowances to Members) Acts 1938 to 1998 for the provision of secretarial facilities. (b) In this subsection ‘qualifying party’ means a political party registered in the Register of Political Parties which contested the last preceding general election or any subsequent bye-elections and which had a member or members elected to Dáil Éireann or elected or nominated to Seanad Éireann at that general election or at any subsequent bye-election.”.

Amendment of section 13 (annual estimate of ongoing expenditure) of Principal Act.

8.— Section 13 of the Principal Act is amended in subsection (2) by inserting “provisional” before “breakdown of moneys paid out” and the said subsection (2) as so amended is set out in the Table to this section.

TABLE

(2)The second statement of estimates and subsequent statements of estimates shall include a provisional breakdown of moneys paid out by the Commission in respect of ongoing expenditure for the period covered by the immediately preceding statement of estimates.

Amendment of section 14 (accounts) of Principal Act.

9.— Section 14 of the Principal Act is amended in subsection (2) by inserting “shall sign those accounts and the statement on internal financial control referred to in section 16(1)(ea) and” after “the Secretary General” and the said subsection as so amended is set out in the Table to this section.

TABLE

(2)In relation to accounts kept under this section the Secretary General shall sign those accounts and the statement on internal financial control referred to in section 16(1)(ea) and shall— (a) submit them annually to the Comptroller and Auditor General for audit, not later than 3 months after the accounting period to which they relate, and (b) immediately after the audit referred to in paragraph (a), present a copy of them, and the report of the Comptroller and Auditor General on them, to the Minister.

Amendment of section 16 (functions of the Secretary General) of Principal Act.

10.— Section 16 of the Principal Act is amended in subsection (1) by inserting the following after paragraph (e): “(ea) preparing a statement on internal financial control for the purpose of it being reviewed by the Comptroller and Auditor General in the context of the audit to which section 14(2)(a) relates,”.

Seal of Commission.

11.— The Principal Act is amended by inserting the following section after section 16: “16A.— (1) The Commission shall provide itself with a seal.

(2)The seal of the Commission shall be authenticated by the signatures of— (a) the chairperson of the Commission or another member of the Commission authorised in that behalf by it, and (b) a member of the staff of the Commission authorised in that behalf by it.

(3)Judicial notice shall be taken of the seal of the Commission and an instrument purporting to be an instrument made by the Commission and to be sealed with its seal (purporting to be authenticated in accordance with subsection (2)) shall be received in evidence and shall be deemed to be such instrument without proof unless the contrary is shown.

(4)Any contract or instrument which, if entered into or executed by a person not being a body corporate, would not require to be under seal may be entered into or executed on behalf of the Commission by any person generally or specially authorised in that behalf by the Commission.”.

Amendment of section 2 (interpretation) of Freedom of Information Act 1997.

12.—

Section 2

of the Freedom of Information Act 1997 is amended in the definition of “head of public body” in subsection (1) by inserting the following after paragraph (j): “(ja) in relation to the Houses of the Oireachtas Commission, the chairperson of the Houses of the Oireachtas Commission,”.

Short title, collective citation and commencement.

13.— (1) This Act may be cited as the Houses of the Oireachtas Commission (Amendment) Act 2006.

(2)The Houses of the Oireachtas Commission Act 2003 (other than sections 17, 19, 20 and 21) and this Act (other than section 12 ) may be cited together as the Houses of the Oireachtas Commission Acts 2003 and 2006.

(3)This Act comes into operation on 1 January 2007.

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