A call for the Government to proceed immediately with reforms in the Dáil to give more control to Irish citizens over ministerial decisions in the EU has been made by the Labour MEP for Dublin, Mr Proinsias De Rossa.
"It is patently obvious that the Government is not listening to what they are being told in the Forum on Europe meetings . . . Has it not yet sunk in that one of the major concerns of Irish citizens is the perception that they are losing control over decision-making?
"It is obvious to me from forum meetings with the public, that there is an enormous degree of goodwill towards the European integration project.
But there are critical voices, including my own, about the need to improve democracy at every level if we are to unite Europe and develop its capacity to provide a full life for everyone in Europe and ensure that Europe's economic and political weight is used to create a just world order," Mr De Rossa said.
Meanwhile, Mr John Cushnahan of Fine Gael has been named as the only Irish MEP on the European Parliament's delegation to the Convention on the Future of Europe, which holds its first meeting on February 28th.
He said the convention must not become a remote, elite body which took European citizens for granted. Members should communicate with the people "in a simple and transparent way" about their plans for the future of Europe.
Issues expected to come before the convention include the question of a written constitution for Europe, whether or not the European Commission president should be elected, whether there should be a federal system or a confederal union of member-states, and the distribution of power between the various institutions.
Last week the Government nominated the former European commissioner and finance minister, Mr Ray MacSharry, as its representative on the convention.