29th Amendment to the Constitution - Judges’ Pay
Existing text of Article 35.5:
The remuneration of a judge shall not be reduced during his continuance in office.
Proposed amendment:
1. The remuneration of judges shall not be reduced during their continuance in office save in accordance with this section.
2. The remuneration of judges is subject to the imposition of taxes, levies or other charges that are imposed by law on persons generally or persons belonging to a particular class.
3. Where, before or after the enactment of this section, reductions have been or are made by law to the remuneration of persons belonging to classes of persons whose remuneration is paid out of public money and such law that those reductions are in the public interest, provision may also be made by law to make proportionate reductions to the remuneration of judges.
30th Amendment to the Constitution – Oireachtas inquiries Existing text of section 15.10:
1. Each House shall make its own rules and standing orders, and shall have power to attach penalties for their infringement, and shall have power to ensure freedom of debate, to protect its official documents and the private papers of its members, and to protect itself and its members against any person or persons interfering with, molesting or attempting to corrupt its members in the exercise of their duties.
It is proposed to renumber this as 15.10.1 and insert:
2. Each House shall have the power to conduct an inquiry, or an inquiry with another House, in a manner provided by law, into any matter or matters stated by the House or Houses concerned to be of general public importance.
3. In the course of any such inquiry the conduct of any person (whether or not a member of either House) may be investigated, and the House or Houses concerned may make findings in respect of the conduct of that person concerning the matter to which the inquiry relates.
4. It shall be for the House or Houses concerned to determine, with due regard to the principles of fair procedures, the appropriate balance between the rights of persons and the public interest for the purposes of ensuring an effective inquiry into any matter to which subsection 2 applies.