Printing parliamentary Bills
Senator Heffernan criticises the substantial cost of printing Bills for Members, arguing that electronic copies or copies collected from the office would save public money.
There was blatant disregard for democracy in this Chamber last week.
I draw to the attention of the House an issue that has annoyed me every week since I became a Member. I have two bills from Government Publications last week, each for €8.89, giving a total of €17.78. Let us make it €20 and multiply it by 60. It amounts to €1,200 per day to have Bills printed and provided for us in our pigeon holes.
Add the 166 Deputies and the figure is €3,320 per day for this stuff to be printed for us when we can pick it up from the General Office or the table just outside the Chamber if we want to.
Comment on this
There are jobs in that printing company.
Comment on this
It costs the bones of €500,000 to do this. We were all issued iPads at a cost to the Exchequer. It is time to get with the programme. We do not need all of these papers. The information is outside or in the General Office if we need it. Let us stop wasting money and spend it where it is needed.