The first item on the agenda is the election of a Chairman. I now invite nominations.
Election of Chairman.
Clerk to the Committee
I propose Deputy Michael Woods.
I second that proposal.
Clerk to the Committee
Are there any other nominations?
I would like to make a point at this stage. I have no difficulty with Deputy Woods chairing this committee, as he chaired it before, but I would be less than straightforward if I did not share something that I can outline briefly. During the term of the previous committee and with the help and encouragement of Deputy Woods, I initiated a study of foreign affairs committees across Europe. I remain convinced that it is not a good idea for the Government to nominate the chairman of such a committee. The lesson to be learned from all foreign affairs committees is that there is a need for a distance between the Executive and the parliamentary forum. This principle emerged clearly from the research.
In the event that Deputy Woods is chosen as Chairman, I can make the preliminary results of my research available to the joint committee. They are already available on my website. We have serious issues on the distance of the joint committee from the Department of Foreign Affairs and as the committee has yet to establish itself, we can discuss the matter on another occasion. While we do not initiate legislation, the matter is relevant to the member who will chair the joint committee. If Deputy Woods chairs it, he will be in a different position from that of the Chairman of the Joint Committee on European Affairs who is consulted by the Minister, not on demand but regularly before decisions are taken in the European Union. That does not prevail at the Joint Committee on Foreign Affairs. It is not clear whether this is a scrutiny committee or a committee which comments on legislation that has been introduced.
I proposed the establishment of a joint committee on foreign affairs in 1986 and one was established in 1993. I have been a member since. During the lifetime of the previous committee we were governed by the absence of space; we frequently curtailed meetings because of the lack of committee room space. The colloquial request is: "There is someone else coming in; we have to get out". There is a totally inadequate number of staff and an unfair demand on staff to produce the minutes. There is comprehensive neglect of our proceedings by the media which is not interested in them most of the time.
I have no difficulty whatsoever with the personality of Deputy Woods in the Chair, but I would be less than honest if I did not say I believe in an independent Joint Committee on Foreign Affairs which is resourced and active rather than reactive. I intended to make these remarks no matter who was proposed as Chairman.
Clerk to the Committee
As there are no other nominations, I deem Deputy Michael Woods elected.
Deputy Michael Woods took the Chair.
I thank members for again electing me as Chairman of the Joint Committee on Foreign Affairs. Last time I worked very closely with members, including Deputy Higgins. I appreciate his point about trying to establish the independence of the committee as strongly as possible. That will be one of my objectives. He used some of the words I had in mind to say, if I was elected as Chairman. I will pursue that line as far as I can but we are bound by the rules in place. We can look further at the issue of resourcing and other matters which I thank Deputy Higgins for raising.
I look forward to working with members in a genuine spirit of partnership and co-operation. I am confident we will bring our combined skills, experience and enthusiasm to bear on the work ahead and make this a highly productive committee which will discharge its functions in an efficient and enlightened way. As was the case in the 29th Dáil, the committee will operate independently of the Executive and the Department of Foreign Affairs. As I stated, we need to strengthen that position and the resources to do so. We will continue the tradition of operating on an all-party basis and in a non-partisan autonomous manner to reach agreement. If members wanted to pursue certain issues, they did so to a large extent in the Dáil or Seanad. We tried to come to a working agreement which I think we succeeded in doing.