That is the general view among parliamentarians, because next year there will be a 50 per cent increase in plenary sessions, 15 as against 10. It is going to be a whole-time occupation.
Representation on European Parliament Committees.
At this point I might also just give you, for your information, the Committees of the European Parliament of which our parliamentarians are members:
|
Deputy |
Committee |
|
Creed, Donal |
Agriculture; Public Health and Environment. |
|
Dunne, Thomas |
Economic and Monetary Affairs; External Economic Relations. |
|
Gibbons, James |
Agriculture; Public Health and Environment. |
|
Herbert, Michael |
Regional Policy and Transport; Cultural Affairs and Youth. |
|
Kavanagh, Liam |
Agriculture; Cultural Affairs and Youth. |
|
McDonald, Charles B. |
Political Affairs; Cultural Affairs and Youth. |
|
Nolan, Thomas |
Budgets; Development and Co-operation. |
|
Thornley, David |
Economic and Monetary Affairs; External Economic Relations. |
|
Senator |
|
|
Lenihan, Brian |
Political Affairs; Energy Research and Technology; External Economic Relations. |
|
Yeats, Michael B. |
Legal Affairs; Economic and Monetary Affairs; Social Affairs and Employment. |
|
Joint Committee of Association with Greece |
— Deputy Dunne, |
|
Parliamentary Conference of Association of EC with the African Associated States and Madagascar |
— Deputy McDonald, — Deputy Nolan, — Senator Yeats. |
You will see that our parliamentary delegates are fairly adequately represented on all the various committees of the European Parliament. What strikes one immediately—and this is something to which Deputy Thornley has drawn attention—is the enormous work-load involved. The requirement of attending at plenary sessions of the European Parliament is exacting enough, but if you add to that all these sub-committees, it really is something to which the Oireachtas will have to direct its attention—how the Members of the Houses who are members of the European Parliament are going to cope with the situation.
I do not want to elaborate on this but merely to reiterate the point. This is not unique to the Irish situation. The concept of the dual mandate is discussed in every major European country and, if I may put it so flippantly, the casualty rate among parliamentarians who are also members of the European Parliament is extremely high.
Political casualties.
And some of us are looking over our shoulders very much at our responsibilities at home. Unless the Dáil is going to regard the European Parliament as a sort of dumping ground for senescents, it had better face up to this problem and face up to it very fast indeed.
Is there no provision in the European Parliament organisation for alternates?
No.
Even on the Committees?
Yes, if you are a member of a committee.
The obvious answer is direct elections.
I think we are moving that way.
May I ask if there is any correspondence to accommodate that particular point of view?
If there is no other business, I want to thank you again very much for this extra-curricular attendance this morning. I wished, if we could, to get these matters cleared up. As you know, we are fixing our next meeting for Thursday, 25th October, at 3 p.m., and in the meantime we shall endeavour to attend to all the various matters which have been raised.
In relation to these recommendations here from the Commission, are they to be dealt with by a sub-committee before the next meeting on a date to be fixed?
I shall check and try to fix something generally convenient.
The Committee adjourned at 12.10 p.m. until 3 p.m. on Thursday, 25th October, 1973.