The Government has approved the preliminary heads of a Bill to strengthen the powers of the Public Accounts Committee in the wake of the AIB DIRT tax controversy.
The Minister for Finance, Mr McCreevy, said the Cabinet yesterday approved the preliminary heads and he hoped the legislation would be before the House and perhaps even passed by Christmas.
The Bill will also amend the provisions of the Comptroller and Auditor General Act of 1923. Mr McCreevy said he proposed to introduce one piece of legislation, subject to further consultation with the Comptroller and the committee.
He added that the legal difficulties in endeavouring to ensure the Comptroller and Auditor General's role as enshrined in the Constitution would not be impinged on had been borne in mind.
He said work in the Department arising from the interim report of the Committee on Public Accounts had "top priority". He also insisted that "the approach to the inquiry into this matter is innovative in terms of parliamentary procedure as well as in law".
"While I am not yet in a position to give the House a definite date for the publication of a Bill, I can assure the House that every effort is being made to progress the legislation without delay."
