Keeping a close eye to the Oireachtas Schedule this week I noted two committee meetings that might be interesting to keep an eye to.

The first is being held by the Joint Committee on the Constitution on Wednesday morning.

Review of the Electoral System: The effect of PR-STV on Women’s Representation in Parliament
+ Ms. Susan McKay, Director of the National Women’s Council of Ireland
+ Ms. Fiona Buckley, Department of Government, University College Cork
+ Senator Ivana Bacik
+ Senator Lisa McDonald

Maybe we could read more about this issue on the NWCI blog this week? (hint!)

The second hearing that I was delighted to see listed is the proposed appearance of representatives of the Equality and Rights Alliance before the The Joint Committee on European Affairs on Thursday next.

The Equality and Rights Alliance is a grouping of local and national NGO’s formed last year to fight the cutbacks to equality and human rights protection institutions in the state.

In September the Alliance lodged a complaint with the European Commission concerning the Governments failure to comply with EU law in the area of Equality. (Text of the full complaint is available here and the petition here) It is this complaint that representatives of ERA will be speaking before the committee about. All opposition MEP’s support the complaint and have supported the ERA’s corresponding petition.

The work of Oireachtas committee’s is usually ignored unless it’s the Public Accounts Committee. However I have noticed in the last year or so that many NGO’s are appearing before committees to discuss policy matters and accompanying campaigns. Does it make any difference to the work of the Oireachtas and the knowledge of members on the issues raised?