44.— (1) The Minister shall establish a panel of legal costs accountants willing and able to act as a parliamentary legal costs adjudicator where section 51(1), 57(3) or 58(3) applies.

(2) Where section 51(1), 57(3) or 58(3) applies, the Minister may, at the request in writing of the Oireachtas Commission, appoint, from amongst the panel of legal costs accountants established under subsection (1), a legal costs accountant to carry out an adjudication referred to in that section.

(3) Subject to subsection (4), a parliamentary legal costs adjudicator shall be paid such fees for his or her services as a parliamentary legal costs adjudicator as are specified in writing by the Minister, either generally or in any particular case.

(4) The fees referred to in subsection (3) shall form part of the expenses of the Oireachtas Commission.