As a single issue, parliamentary reform has never been given priority in the Oireachtas and in the past, reform initiatives have been sporadic, minor and less than effective. Backbench TDs are prone to lament their status, which many perceive as being weak and inapproriate for tasks of scrutiny or decision-making. Ostensibly in answer to pleas for reform, a disparate assortment of ad hoc select committees was set up in 1983. Chapter One describes the backround to the new committees and traces the factors which conditioned their structure and remit. Chapters Two and Three examine the activities of two select committees, their composition of membership, their structure and work methods and summarise a select sample of their reports. These chapters also endeavour to assess the achievements of the Dail Committee on Public Expenditure and the Joint Committee on State-Sponsored Bodies and suggest minor alterations which might improve their method of scrutiny and its effectiveness. Chapter Four provides a brief overview of other select committees meeting during the 24th Oireachtas. A short presentation on media coverage of select committees is also included. The objectives of parliamentary reform are multiple and confused. So too were the expectations set for the new Oireachtas committees. This was obvious from the fractious consultations which determined their structure, the scope of their remit and their composition of membership. In concluding this review, the effects of select committees on the Oireachtas are measured against the original expectations set for their work. Finally, the overall performance of select committees as tools of parliamentary reform is discussed in relation to the political climate which governs their existence.