Oireachtas Inquiries Referendum

Abstract

From 2008 there were persistent calls to hold a public inquiry into the events leading up to the banking collapse and subsequent economic recession. However, the Abbeylara judgment of 2001 ruled that an Oireachtas Inquiry Committee was acting outside its powers as its findings could adversely affect the good name of a person. Consequently, the scope for parliamentary inquiries was limited. In March 2011, the Fine Gael/Labour coalition government committed to holding a referendum to address the issues raised by the Supreme Court Abbeylara judgment. The terms of the referendum were announced in September 2011 and polling day was scheduled for 27 October 2011. Despite opinion polls consistently indicating support for the amendment, the amendment was narrowly defeated. This report suggests a combination of issues, including time constraints, lack of information and debate, and opposition from the legal profession, notably, eight former attorneys general, ultimately contributed to the defeat of the Oireachtas Inquiries referendum.

Keywords:

• Oireachtas inquiries
• referendum