Number 3 of 2013

HOUSES OF THE OIREACHTAS COMMISSION (AMENDMENT) ACT 2013

ARRANGEMENT OF SECTIONS

Section

1. Definition.

2. Amendment of section 2 of Principal Act.

3. Amendment of section 4 of Principal Act.

4. Amendment of section 10A of Principal Act.

5. Short title, collective citation and commencement.

Acts Referred to

Number 3 of 2013

HOUSES OF THE OIREACHTAS COMMISSION (AMENDMENT) ACT 2013

AN ACT TO AMEND THE HOUSES OF THE OIREACHTAS COMMISSION ACT 2003 TO CONFER ADDITIONAL FUNCTIONS ON THE HOUSES OF THE OIREACHTAS COMMISSION; AND TO PROVIDE FOR RELATED MATTERS.

[26th February, 2013]

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 of Principal Act.

2.— Section 2 of the Principal Act is amended by the insertion of the following definitions:

“ ‘An Caighdeán Oifigiúil’ means the official standard of the Irish language, prepared by the Houses of the Oireachtas and published under Government copyright, to be used in primary and secondary legislation and as the guide for writing in the Irish language;

‘statutory instrument’ means an order, regulation, rule, scheme or bye-law made under a power conferred by statute.”.

Amendment of section 4 of Principal Act.

3.— Section 4 of the Principal Act is amended by the insertion of the following subsections after subsection (2A):

“(2B) It shall be a function of the Commission to provide, whenever it is requested to do so by a Minister of the Government, translation services from one official language into the other in respect of—

(a) statutory instruments made by that Minister of the Government,

(b) statutory instruments made by another person in relation to the making of which that Minister of the Government is, pursuant to the statutory power under which those instruments are made, required to be consulted or to give his or her consent or approval howsoever described, and

(c) statutory instruments made by another person—

(i) in respect of whom that Minister of the Government performs any function pursuant to statute or otherwise, or

(ii) to whom any monies are advanced, out of monies provided by the Oireachtas, by that Minister of the Government for the purposes of the performance by that person of the person’s functions.

(2C) The Commission may, subject to such terms and conditions as it considers appropriate, arrange for persons other than members of the staff of the Commission to assist it in the performance of its functions under subsections (2A) and (2B).

(2D) Nothing in subsection (2B) shall prevent a Minister of the Government or any other person referred to in that subsection from arranging for the translation from one official language into the other by a person other than the Commission of a statutory instrument to which that subsection applies.

(2E) Notwithstanding section 5, the Commission may charge a Minister of the Government to whom it provides a service under subsection (2B) a fee of such amount as may be determined by the Commission for that service.

(2F) It shall be a function of the Commission to review An Caighdeán Oifigiúil from time to time as it considers appropriate, but not less than once every 7 years, and to revise and publish it in such manner as it considers appropriate following each such review.

(2G) The Commission shall, for the purposes of conducting a review of An Caighdeán Oifigiúil under subsection (2F), consult with—

(a) the following Ministers of the Government, namely—

(i) the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht,

(ii) the Minister for Education and Skills, and

(iii) the Minister for Justice and Equality,

(b) such persons who have an interest in An Caighdeán Oifigiúil as the Commission considers appropriate, and

(c) members of the public generally,

and the Commission shall have regard to any submissions made to it arising from such consultation.

(2H) The references in subsections (2F) and (2G) to An Caighdeán Oifigiúil shall be construed as references to An Caighdeán Oifigiúil as it was last previously revised and published.”.

Amendment of section 10A of Principal Act.

4.— Section 10A of the Principal Act is amended—

(a) by designating it as subsection (1), and

(b) by the addition of the following subsection:

“(2) The Commission may, for the purposes of the performance of its functions under subsections (2F) to (2H) of section 4, appoint to a committee established by it under subsection (1) in connection with those functions such persons, who are not members of the Commission or members of the staff of the Commission, as it considers appropriate who have suitable expertise and experience.”.

Short title, collective citation and commencement.

5.— (1) This Act may be cited as the Houses of the Oireachtas Commission (Amendment) Act 2013.

(2) The Houses of the Oireachtas Commission Acts 2003 to 2012 and this Act may be cited together as the Houses of the Oireachtas Commission Acts 2003 to 2013.

(3) This Act shall come into operation on such day or days as the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform may appoint by order or orders either generally or with reference to any particular purpose or provision and different days may be so appointed for different purposes or different provisions.