May I direct your attention to your Order of Business? The first item is the consideration of a draft report to both Houses of the Oireachtas on certain documents which are set out. As you know, there were three draft Commission documents submitted to the Council dealing with different aspects of Community regional policy. The sub-committee, which we call the General Policy Sub-Committee, has considered these three drafts in detail and has prepared, for your consideration, a draft report to be submitted to both Houses of the Oireachtas with regard to these proposals.
Senator Robinson, who is a member of the sub-committee, and is a rapporteur, will report to you on the deliberations of the sub-committee in regard to these three documents. Before I ask Senator Robinson to report, I should tell you that the Congress, in response to an invitation from this committee, has sent along a deputation to us today. This deputation would like to be heard by us on the whole question of regional policy and also on some other aspects of Community policy. From our point of view, I think it would be more appropriate to hear the Congress delegates first. If no one objects to that course, I will ask Deputy Barry Desmond to introduce the deputation.
While waiting on the deputation, I will convey to the committee apologies from some of our colleagues. The following are unavoidably absent: Deputy Staunton, Deputy Collins, Senator Higgins and Senator O'Callaghan. The following members are attending the European Parliament: Deputy Creed, Deputy Dunne, Deputy Gibbons, Deputy Kavanagh, Deputy Nolan, Deputy Thornley and Senator Yeats. All these members of our committee are engaged on European parliamentary affairs and cannot be with us today. However, we do have some of our European Parliamentary representatives.
The delegation having been introduced to the committee, the Chairman asked Senator Fintan Kennedy to address the committee.