3 Samh 2014, 15:46
The Oireachtas Joint Committee on European Union Affairs will tomorrow hear from the Better Europe Alliance, a network of Irish civil society organisations, on their report on Ireland's Country Specific Recommendations (CSRs) for 2014.
3 November 2014
The ‘Better Europe Alliance’ network campaigns for a social and sustainable Europe and includes organisations such as the European Anti-Poverty Network, Ireland (EAPN), Social Justice Ireland, the National Women’s Council of Ireland, the Disability Federation of Ireland and representatives of trade unions.
Chairman of the Committee Dominic Hannigan continues: “Following Ireland's exit from the bailout programme, the influence of the European Semester process, including the Commission's Country Specific Recommendations, is being fully felt for the first time this year. We look forward to hearing from the Better Europe Alliance on the seven Country Specific Recommendations issued to Ireland by the European Commission for 2014. The Better Europe Alliance report argues that not enough emphasis relates to many key social and environmental areas to bring about balanced smart, sustainable and inclusive growth. The report points to areas that require greater attention such as climate change, resource efficiency, poverty reduction, gender mainstreaming, pensions and access to quality housing, health and long term care.
“Our Committee has a longstanding interest in how the social dimension to European Monetary Union might be bolstered. In November 2013, we hosted a series of informative debates - with the European Commission and a range of organisations in Ireland – on how social indicators might be better deployed in the EU budgetary process. The views expressed informed part of a political contribution by the Committee to the European Institutions on the Social Dimension of the EMU. Tomorrow’s meeting with the Better Europe Alliance will provide a timely opportunity to assess the extent to which they informed Ireland’s CSRs this year.”
The meeting takes place tomorrow 4 November at 2pm in Committee Room 1, LH 2000. Public proceedings can be followed online here.
Committee proceedings can also be viewed on the move, through the Houses of the Oireachtas Smartphone App, available for Apple and Android devices.
Committee Membership
Deputies: Eric Byrne, Seán Crowe, Timmy Dooley, Bernard J. Durkan, John Halligan, Dominic Hannigan (Chair), Seán Kyne, and Joe O’Reilly
Senators: Colm Burke, Aideen Hayden, Terry Leyden, Catherine Noone and Kathryn Reilly