Combined Section 15/16 Manual of the Standards Commission

1.2 Structure and Organisation of the Standards Commission

The Standards Commission is an independent body established in December 2001 by the Standards in Public Office Act 2001. It replaced the Public Offices Commission which was established in November 1995 by the Ethics in Public Office Act 1995. (Records held by the Public Offices Commission, which are subject to the FOI Acts may be requested from the Standards Commission.) The Standards Commission is located at 18 Lower Leeson Street, Dublin 2. It is supported administratively by a permanent Secretariat, seconded from the Office of the Ombudsman.

There are six members of the Standards Commission as follows:

• The Honourable Mr. Justice Matthew P. Smith, former Judge of the High Court, Chairman;
• The Clerk of Dáil Éireann (Mr. Kieran Coughlan);
• The Clerk of Seanad Éireann (Ms. Deirdre Lane);
• The Comptroller & Auditor General (Mr. John Buckley);
• The Ombudsman (Ms. Emily O'Reilly);
• Mr. Michael Smith, former member of Dáil Éireann.

Meetings of the Standards Commission are normally held on a bi-monthly basis or additionally as circumstances require. The minimum quorum for a meeting of the Standards Commission is three. A decision at a meeting in relation to matters other than an investigation or any question arising in the course of an investigation may be that of a majority of members present and voting on a question. In the case of a tie, the chairman of the meeting (the Chairman of the Standards Commission, unless absent) has a casting vote. A decision in relation to an investigation or any question arising in the course of an investigation may be that of a majority of members.

Functions of the Standards Commission (other than investigations) may be performed, under its supervision and subject to its general direction, by members of the Secretariat staff who are duly authorised to do so. The Secretariat is headed by Mr. David Waddell (Senior Investigator) who acts as Standards Commission Secretary. The other Secretariat staff are:

• Mr. Paddy Walsh (Investigator)
• Mr. Desmond O'Neill (Investigator)
• Mr. Brian Mc Kevitt (Assistant Principal and Freedom of Information Officer)
• Ms. Jacqueline Moore (Higher Executive Officer)
• Mr. Frank Forde (Executive Officer)
• Mr. Pádraig Grant (Executive Officer)
• Ms. Marian Mullen (Clerical Officer)
• Ms. Sarah Monaghan (Clerical Officer)

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