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Seanad Éireann debate -
Wednesday, 6 Dec 1989

Vol. 123 No. 10

Joint Committee on the Secondary Legislation of the European Communities: Motion.

I move:

(1) That a Select Committee consisting of 7 Members of Seanad Éireann (none of whom shall be a member of the European Parliament) be appointed to be joined with a Select Committee to be appointed by Dáil Éireann to form the Joint Committee on the Secondary Legislation of the European Communities.

(a) to examine

(i) such programmes and guidelines prepared by the Commission of the European Communities as a basis for possible legislative action and such drafts of regulations, directives, decisions, recommendations and opinions of the Council of Ministers proposed by the Commission,

(ii) such acts of the institutions of those Communities,

(iii) such regulations under the European Communities Act, 1972 (No. 27 of 1972), and

(iv) such other instruments made under statute and necessitated by the obligations of membership of those Communities

as the Joint Committee may select and to report thereon to both Houses of the Oireachtas; and

(b) to examine the question of dual membership of Dáil Éireann or Seanad Éireann and the European Parliament and to consider the relations between the Irish members of the European Parliament and Dáil Éireann and Seanad Éireann and to report thereon to both Houses of the Oireachtas.

(2) That in the absence from a particular meeting of the Joint Committee of a member who is a Member of Seanad Éireann, another Member of Seanad Éireann may, with the authority of the absent Member, take part in the proceedings and vote in his stead; and that Members of Seanad Éireann, not being members of the Joint Committee, may attend meetings and take part in the proceedings without having a right to vote.

(3) That members of the European Parliament who are also Members of either House be notified of meetings and be allowed to attend and take part in proceedings without having a right to vote.

(4) That the Joint Committee shall, subject to the consent of the Minister for Finance, have power to engage the services of persons with specialist or technical knowledge to assist it for the purpose of particular enquiries.

(5) That the Joint Committee, previous to the commencement of business, shall elect one of its members to be Chairman, who shall have only one vote.

(6) That all questions in the Joint Committee shall be determined by a majority of votes of the members present and voting and in the event of there being an equality of votes the question shall be decided in the negative.

(7) That every report which the Joint Committee proposes to make shall, on adoption by the Joint Committee, be laid before both Houses of the Oireachtas forthwith, whereupon the Joint Committee shall be empowered to print and publish such report, together with such related documents as it thinks fit.

(8) That five members of the Joint Committee shall form a quorum, of whom at least one shall be a Member of Dáil Éireann and at least one shall be a Member of Seanad Éireann.

Question put.
The Seanad divided: Tá, 26; Níl, 18.

  • Bennett, Olga.
  • Bohan, Eddie.
  • Byrne, Hugh
  • Byrne, Seán.
  • Cassidy, Donie.
  • Dardis, John.
  • Fallon, Seán.
  • Farrell, Willie.
  • Finneran, Michael.
  • Fitzgerald, Tom.
  • Foley, Denis.
  • Haughey, Seán F.
  • Hussey, Thomas.
  • Keogh, Helen.
  • Kiely, Rory.
  • Lanigan, Michael.
  • McCarthy, Seán.
  • McGowan, Paddy.
  • McKenna, Tony.
  • Mooney, Paschal.
  • O'Brien, Francis.
  • Ó Cuív, Éamon.
  • O'Keeffe, Batt.
  • Ormonde, Donal.
  • Ryan, Eoin David.
  • Wright, G. V.

Níl

  • Costello, Joe.
  • Doyle, Avril.
  • Harte, John.
  • Hourigan, Richard V.
  • Howard, Michael.
  • Jackman, Mary.
  • Kennedy, Patrick.
  • Murphy, John A.
  • Naughten, Liam.
  • Neville, Daniel.
  • Norris, David.
  • Ó Foighil, Pól.
  • O'Reilly, Joe.
  • Raftery, Tom.
  • Ross, Shane P.N.
  • Ryan, Brendan.
  • Ryan, John.
  • Upton, Pat.
Tellers: Tá, Senators McGowan and Farrell; Níl, Senators Norris and Ross.
Question declared carried.
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