A new petitions system has been established to enable members of the public to participate more fully in the Irish democratic process. Any member of the public (with the exception of politicians) can now submit a petition to the Joint Sub-Committee on Public Relations on a matter of public concern or interest.
This Joint Sub-Committee is a Parliamentary Committee responsible for considering any petitions submitted and deciding what course of action will next be taken. In considering a petition, the Committee can invite the petitioner to speak on the subject and can also seek evidence from relevant Government departments. It is also open to the Committee to refer the petition to other Committees, to an Ombudsman or to other public bodies to seek redress. After full consideration of the petition, the Committee can report to the Dáil or the Seanad with recommendations and can request that the issue be debated in either of these forums. The Committee can also hold that no further action on the petition is necessary and the petition will then be closed.
Only one signature is needed prior to submitting a petition, but certain rules must be complied with to ensure a petition is admissible. Such requirements include that the petition relates to matters on which the Houses of the Oireachtas have the power to act, that the petition is not frivolous, vexatious or otherwise does not constitute an abuse of the petitions system and that it does not contain the name or names of individuals.
Click here for further information on the new petition system.