Vol. 436 No. 4
16 Proinsias De Rossa asked the Minister for the Environment when it is expected that a decision will be made on the Irish representatives on the Committee of the Regions as provided for under the Treaty on European Union; when the members will be selected; the criteria to be used; the date that has been scheduled for the first meeting of the committee; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
The Treaty on European Union provides that the members of the Committee of the Regions will be appointed by the Council of Ministers acting on proposals from member states. Proposals in relation to Ireland's representatives will be finalised as soon as possible by the Government so as to allow the appointments to be made in time for the first meeting of the committee. I understand that this meeting is to be held no later than 15 January 1994.
May I remind the Minister that his reply is virtually the same as that given in the House on 19 May last? What progress has been made since 19 May on devising a method for the appointment of the nine representatives to the Committee of the Regions? Will the Minister confirm that the Government has come up with a formula for selection to the committee which would give five seats to Fianna Fáil, three seats to the Labour Party and one seat to the Fine Gael Party on that committee?
The method of selection of members varies between member states. Towards the end of October there was a request from the Belgian Presidency, who were anxious to clarify this matter, for the Irish nominations and the selection process is nearing completion. The chairperson of the General Council of County Councils and the chairperson of Údarás na Gaeltachta have been selected.
The first meeting of this body is due to be held on 15 January and when will the announcement of the Irish members of the Committee of the Regions be made? What other member state, if any, has not yet nominated its members to the Committee of the Regions?
I am unable to answer the last part of the Deputy's question——
None.
——except to say that all the other countries in the EC with the possible exception of one — there may be two but there is one of which I am certain — have given their nominations to the Belgian Presidency. At this stage nine states have given their nominations to the Belgian Presidency. It is important that the announcement be made very soon because preliminary work is necessary in relation to the establishement of the committee. It is important that the Irish have a say in that process. Therefore it is essential that an early decision be made.
When will that announcement be made?
Within a matter of days.
What form of proportionality is involved in the allocation of seats on the Committee of the Regions?
If one were to combine the Government resources in terms of elected members of both the Fianna Fáil and Labour parties throughout the country, the Government side would probably take all of the nominations. That would not be desirable.
I thank the Minister very much for one of the seats. It is a joke.
I am surprised at such a facetious answer from the Minister for the Environment. He said the chairpersons of both the General Council of County Councils and Údarás na Gaeltachta would be members. Does that relate to the office holder for the time being or to the individuals who happen to be the chairpersons at present?
Appointments under the Treaty, I understand, are for four years.
The form of proportionality that the Minister talks about is grotesque. On the basis that Fianna Fáil holds the highest number of local authority seats and the Fine Gael Party holds the second highest number, would the Minister agree that fundamental to fair play the proportional representation should be three, two and one?
It is undesirable to enter into a debate like this.
The Minister should outline his plans.
It is terrible.
I have been accused of not addressing questions properly.
The Minister certainly has not addressed the question properly.
If the Deputy attended meetings of the General Council of County Councils in the last while he would be aware of the way Fine Gael takes account of majorities.
That is an utterly facetious answer. I am entitled to ask the Minister what form of proportionality he has in mind since he is the person who makes the decision. He owes it to the public, and to this House, to come clean on this issue. Will the Minister come clean on this and let us know what form of proportionality he intends to use in making these appointments?
The first consideration in the selection process is the ability of the candidate to perform his duties in accordance with the Treaty.
Rubbish.
I indicated that the chairpersons of Údarás na Gaeltachta and the General Council of County Councils were selected. Only one member can be selected from each region. Of course, the other matter that had to be dealt with was a proper gender balance.
I fear the Minister is turning Question Time into something similar to the silly quiz games on television on a Saturday evening. He has now identified two of the nine members and has told us that the remainder will be announced in the course of the next few days. Has the Government decided on the remaining seven members? Why will the Minister not come clean and tell us who the remaining seven will be? Is it not the case that this is another political carve up——
Gerrymandering.
——between the two partners in Government, of which he is afraid to inform the House. Instead he will slink off and issue a press release on the appointments in a couple of days time.
In embarrassment.
There will be four seats to Fianna Fáil and three seats to the Labour Party.
The very minute the process of selection is completed an announcement will be made.
Democracy in action.
May I congratulate the Minister on making a decision to appoint these people on the only criteria that matters to the Government, whether he is a member of the cumann or the branch of the Labour Party. I congratulate the Minister on winning this battle with the Labour Party in Cabinet.
The Deputy was wrong the last time he started talking about——
We tried to get the Minister to respond to a question on nursing homes but he would not.
The Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs indicated to me that the regional development authorities would be responsible for making eight of the nine appointments. However, the Minister has now gone back on that commitment and allowed himself to be subsumed under the normal Fianna Fáil criteria of making purely Fianna Fáil appointments and whether there is a regional component does not really matter.
Has the Deputy a question, as I assumed he had when I called him?
Will the Minister confirm whether formal contact has been made at this stage with the members of the Committee of the Regions?
Yes, most certainly with a number but the list has not yet been completed.
In relation to the membership of the Committee of the Regions did the Minister consider the question of elections to this committee as distinct from selection to them?
I am considering elections to the regional authorities subsequent to the first tranche of nominations which will take place in the next month or so.
Will the Minister nominate the first batch?
Yes, nominations will be made in the first instance to the regional authorities and the Committee of the Regions. The Government has also decided that nominations to the Committee of the Regions hereafter will be by the regional authorities.
The Minister suggested that the Deputy should look at the way Fine Gael conducted its affairs on the General Council of County Councils. To what precisely was he referring? He seemed to be defending something.
The Deputy should read the book.
Is the Minister criticising the behaviour of the members?
On a point of order, surely these facetious answers are not acceptable.
Is the Minister criticising the behaviour of the General Council of County Councils?
I have said all I want to say on that subject.
Mine was a very simple question. Is the Minister criticising the behaviour of the members of the General Council of County Councils?
If the Deputy is so sensitive as to take what I said as a criticism, that is all right.
That concludes questions for today.
I will not say any more.
