22 MFómh 2015, 14:17
The Joint Committee on European Union Affairs will convene tomorrow for its second special meeting on the ongoing migration crisis in the European Union.
22nd September 2015
The meeting will take place at 12.30pm in Committee Room 2, tomorrow, Wednesday, 23rd September.
Appearing before the Committee will be:
• Ms. Barbara Nolan, Head of Representation, European Commission;
• His Excellency Mr. Matthias Höpfner, Ambassador of the Federal Republic of Germany to Ireland;
• His Excellency Mr. Giovanni Adorni Braccesi, Ambassador of Italy to Ireland;
• Mr. Piotr Rakowski, Charge d’Affaire, Embassy of the Republic of Poland.
Committee Chair, Dominic Hannigan, TD, said: “Refugees and migrants fleeing war-torn countries continue to risk their lives trying to enter Europe. This is arguably the greatest challenge the European Union has faced since the debt crisis.”
“The Joint Committee on European Union Affairs held a special meeting on the issue in April attended by UN Special Representative, Mr. Peter Sutherland, which illustrated the need for Ireland, all EU Member States and the European Commission to work together in responding to the crisis. Tomorrow we will meet again and continue our efforts to assist the Government in its engagement with Europe on this matter. It is a hugely complex situation and Europe’s response will inevitably need to involve reconciling national interests with a common European response.”
“Not only must we work with our European and international colleagues to assist those fleeing war-torn countries, but we must address the fact that the situation is placing unprecedented pressure on EU countries, especially those countries based at migration entry points. The Schengen Agreement has also come under increased scrutiny in light of the current migrant influx and the resulting security and border concerns being raised by Members States. This is a pivotal moment for Europe and the Joint Committee will be keen to explore the EU’s options for addressing this issue.”
The meeting will take place at 12.30pm in Committee Room 2, tomorrow, Wednesday, 23rd September.
Committee proceedings can be viewed live here.
The meeting will also be broadcast live on Oireachtas TV on Sky Channel 574; UPC Channel 207 and eVision Channel 504.
Committee proceedings can also be viewed on the move, through the Houses of the Oireachtas Smartphone App, available for Apple and Android devices.
Ends
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Committee Membership
Chairman: Dominic Hannigan, TD (Labour)
Deputies:
Eric Byrne (Labour); Seán Crowe (Sinn Féin); Timmy Dooley (Fianna Fail); Bernard J. Durkan (Fine Gael); John Halligan (Independent); Seán Kyne (Fine Gael); Derek Keating (Fine Gael); Joe O’Reilly (Fine Gael)
Senators:
Colm Burke (Fine Gael); Aideen Hayden (Labour); Terry Leyden (Fianna Fáil); Catherine Noone (Fine Gael); Kathryn Reilly (Sinn Féin)