The effect of parliamentary reforms (2011–16) on the Oireachtas committee system
The literature on parliament identifies many factors which facilitate or impede parliamentary committees in their quest to scrutinise legislation and to oversee and hold government to account, including the formal powers assigned to them, political factors associated with the make-up of parliament,...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Sciendo
2017-05-01
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| Series: | Administration |
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| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1515/admin-2017-0015 |
| _version_ | 1819007284218429440 |
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| author | Lynch Catherine |
| author_facet | Lynch Catherine |
| author_sort | Lynch Catherine |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The literature on parliament identifies many factors which facilitate or impede parliamentary committees in their quest to scrutinise legislation and to oversee and hold government to account, including the formal powers assigned to them, political factors associated with the make-up of parliament, structural factors associated with parliamentary tradition, and the rules and procedure adopted by parliament. This article is concerned with how parliamentary rules and procedure can affect committees. It develops a framework of the procedural variables associated with ‘effective committee systems’ and uses it to assess the Oireachtas committee system prior to and after the reforms introduced by the thirty-first and thirty-second Dáileanna. It finds that many, though not all, of the procedural conditions for a strong committee system have been put in place. However, while changes to procedure can remove obstacles to effective committee systems, other factors - above all, the incentive for politicians to engage with committee work - will ultimately determine whether the reforms truly strengthen parliament. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-21T00:22:08Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-fe53e9300c094a9186c56556b8b242b1 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2449-9471 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-21T00:22:08Z |
| publishDate | 2017-05-01 |
| publisher | Sciendo |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Administration |
| spelling | doaj.art-fe53e9300c094a9186c56556b8b242b12022-12-21T19:22:05ZengSciendoAdministration2449-94712017-05-01652598710.1515/admin-2017-0015admin-2017-0015The effect of parliamentary reforms (2011–16) on the Oireachtas committee systemLynch Catherine0Oireachtas Library and Research Service,Dublin, IrelandThe literature on parliament identifies many factors which facilitate or impede parliamentary committees in their quest to scrutinise legislation and to oversee and hold government to account, including the formal powers assigned to them, political factors associated with the make-up of parliament, structural factors associated with parliamentary tradition, and the rules and procedure adopted by parliament. This article is concerned with how parliamentary rules and procedure can affect committees. It develops a framework of the procedural variables associated with ‘effective committee systems’ and uses it to assess the Oireachtas committee system prior to and after the reforms introduced by the thirty-first and thirty-second Dáileanna. It finds that many, though not all, of the procedural conditions for a strong committee system have been put in place. However, while changes to procedure can remove obstacles to effective committee systems, other factors - above all, the incentive for politicians to engage with committee work - will ultimately determine whether the reforms truly strengthen parliament.https://doi.org/10.1515/admin-2017-0015parliamentary procedureparliamentary reformoireachtas committee systemlegislature/executive relations |
| spellingShingle | Lynch Catherine The effect of parliamentary reforms (2011–16) on the Oireachtas committee system Administration parliamentary procedure parliamentary reform oireachtas committee system legislature/executive relations |
| title | The effect of parliamentary reforms (2011–16) on the Oireachtas committee system |
| title_full | The effect of parliamentary reforms (2011–16) on the Oireachtas committee system |
| title_fullStr | The effect of parliamentary reforms (2011–16) on the Oireachtas committee system |
| title_full_unstemmed | The effect of parliamentary reforms (2011–16) on the Oireachtas committee system |
| title_short | The effect of parliamentary reforms (2011–16) on the Oireachtas committee system |
| title_sort | effect of parliamentary reforms 2011 16 on the oireachtas committee system |
| topic | parliamentary procedure parliamentary reform oireachtas committee system legislature/executive relations |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1515/admin-2017-0015 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT lynchcatherine theeffectofparliamentaryreforms201116ontheoireachtascommitteesystem AT lynchcatherine effectofparliamentaryreforms201116ontheoireachtascommitteesystem |