EUROPEAN AFFAIRS:CLOSER CONTACT between members of the Oireachtas and the European Parliament was needed in the aftermath of the Lisbon Treaty, a Leinster House subcommittee was told yesterday.
However, there were practical difficulties in arranging a regular monthly meeting because of workload and travel commitments, Fine Gael MEP Sean Kelly told the Subcommittee on the Role of the Oireachtas in European Affairs.
“It would be a great help to us to know the feelings of the Oireachtas on any measures that come forward,” Mr Kelly said.
He said a method of communicating the views of Oireachtas members to the Irish MEPs should be arranged.
Labour TD Joe Costello asked if it were possible for the Irish MEPs to attend the Oireachtas one or two days a month.
Fine Gael TD John Perry suggested the MEPs could come to Leinster House during their “constituency week”.
Fine Gael MEP Mairéad McGuinness said: “We only have about four constituency weeks a year.”
She pointed out that only three of the 12 MEPs from the Republic were in a position to attend yesterday’s subcommittee meeting, which was chaired by Fine Gael TD Lucinda Creighton.
Mr Kelly said: “One day a month would be nice but I don’t think it’s possible.” But he added that he could attend where matters of specific interest to him were being discussed.
Labour MEP Nessa Childers suggested the use of available technology to facilitate “virtual meetings” between Irish MEPs and Oireachtas members.
Ms McGuinness said an “early-warning system” was needed for matters of common concern to Oireachtas members and MEPs.
She said it was “easier to criticise outcomes than to engage in the process” and she praised the farming organisations for getting involved “at the very early stages” of EU legislation.
Fianna Fáil TD Mary O’Rourke said the idea of an EU information kiosk in Leinster House might have merit, but she added, “Each of us is an information kiosk ourselves.”
:quality(70)/cloudfront-eu-central-1.images.arcpublishing.com/irishtimes/MOENYACS6VA77KV7ZXJ7HWR6UM.png)