asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs what procedure Ireland will adopt in relation to the election of members to the European Parliament under Article 138 of the Treaty of Rome.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - European Parliament Representatives.
12.
As in the case of Parliamentary representation on other international organisations, the procedure to be adopted for appointment of our representatives to the European Parliament will be one for agreement among the parties in the Oireachtas.
Does the Minister not consider that the European Parliament is of considerably more importance than the type of international groups to which to date parliamentarians have been appointed and that in view of the great importance of the European Parliament and its potentially greater importance that we should have direct election of the representatives of Ireland?
Until such time as direct elections are decided on the Parliaments of the different countries will be asked to provide the representatives according to their own procedures. The Deputy should not have such a low estimate of what this Parliament will do in those circumstances.
I have a great estimate of what the people could do if we chose as our procedure election by the people.
Certainly, we can choose our own procedure but as I told the Deputy last week that is not for me to decide. It is for Parliament.
Would the Minister not trust the people to choose the procedure?
It is for the Oireachtas to decide on the procedure. It is not a matter for one individual Minister.
The Minister has given an answer which apparently has come from somewhere. There must have been a decision on the matter if the Minister was able to state that they would be appointed in the old way.
No, I said that the procedures were left to the individual Parliaments and our procedure to date——
Would the Minister not be prepared to change?
It is for the House to do it, not for me.
What does the Minister recommend?
I wish Deputies would follow their own ideas. They throw everything over to us—"do it for us". They are like little children.
(Interruptions.)
This will come. It has not yet been decided and until it is decided to have direct elections we in this Parliament can select our own procedures. It could be that we shall have the members elected but this will be decided by the Oireachtas and not by me.
If we propose, will the Minister agree?
(Interruptions.)