The Hon. Dayasiri Jayasekara, Attorney-at-Law

¶ 01 So, the Speaker’s Residence is used, and it has not been handed over to anyone else. There cannot be two arrangements. The Speaker’s Residence exists to be used by the Speaker; whether he sleeps there is irrelevant. Although used for functions, earlier he said by a Parliamentary Staff Advisory Committee decision he does not use it. Now you say it is used for official functions. Then, in effect, the Speaker has the Speaker’s Residence in use while at the same time using another official residence at Lauries Road.

¶ 02 Next, within the same complex at Lauries Road where the Speaker’s residence is, a new official residence has been given to his Private Secretary as well. I table two letters from the Ministry of Public Administration regarding that residence. One states:

¶ 03 “… From 06.06.2025 to 05.06.2030 or until he holds office as Private Secretary to the Hon. Speaker, whichever is earlier, the house shall be handed back to the Ministry.”

¶ 04 This has been given to Mr. Chamira Priyashantha Gallage. These are Ministerial Official Residences at Lauries Road. I have never seen in Sri Lankan history a Ministerial Official Residence given to a Speaker’s Private Secretary.

¶ 05 The Speaker is using another official residence while maintaining the Speaker’s Residence with staff. Thus, he has two official residences — one for sleeping and one for functions — and in the same complex his Private Secretary has also been allocated a residence. That should not happen. Please respond.