Press Release: Government runs risk of looking hypocritical if Lisbon laws not introduced

 

European Movement Ireland warns government to implement changes or risk national reputationDublin, 13 July 2010 - The Government could be at risk of looking dangerously hypocritical if they don’t make good on the European promises they made last year and implement recommendations on how to improve how we deal with Europe at home, the Executive Director of European Movement Ireland has stated.

These comments were made after the Report on the Review of the Role of the Oireachtas in European Affairs was published today. This Report is the outcome of the work of an Oireachtas Sub-Committee which has looked at what needs to be introduced to the Irish Parliamentary system in light of the Lisbon Treaty and its new powers. 

Commenting on the report, Executive Director Andrea Pappin stated, “Let’s have the same Government  urgency for implementing the Lisbon Treaty as we had when they were campaiging for it.

“It’s no surprise that our national parliament needs to up its game in how it deals with Europe. Now that there is a greater role for Leinster House to play in European decision-making, all parties have now agreed what are the changes to our national system that need to be made.  We don’t need another sub-committee report, task force or observation group, what we need is law to implement these measures. Let’s get the law drafted and in place, so that Europe is discussed part and parcel with national law making, rather than be an issue that is reserved for six weeks before a referendum vote.

“While there are obviously reforms needed at an EU level, we believe that there is a lot of work that can be done to improve our own house when it comes to talking about Europe. The government needs to put their money where their mouth is and ensure that the resources that are needed to adopt the recommendations in this comprehensive report are put in place. And if they don’t, then all the speeches made during the Lisbon Treaty campaign will be just hot air – damaging our European credentials, at home and at the European table.”

There are 28 recommendations made in the report. Of note are:

 

§      the introduction of a scrutiny reserve system that a Minister could not formally agree to EU legislation until the national parliament has had a chance to scrutinise it, excepting urgent circumstances.

§      Government Ministers should be obliged to attend their relevant sectoral committee before they head to Council meetings to discuss the upcoming meeting agenda and what they are likely to say

§      a questions and answer session should take place in the Dáil chamber prior to the Taoiseach traveling to the European Council to ensure greater involvement from the national parliament and greater engagement from the media and the public.

§      That the current two European Committees should be merged into one Committee with a strong co-ordinating role

§      Legislation should be put in place so that EU documents can be registered in Leinster House electronically rather than the current archaic process of requiring everything in paper format

 

- ENDS -

 

Editor’s Note

 

About the Report of the Joint Sub-Committee on the Review of the Role of the Oireachtas in European Affairs

 

The report is the outcome of a Sub-Committee, chaired by Fine Gael’s Lucinda Creighton TD, which over the last number of months has reviewed how the Oireachtas currently deals with EU matters. This report presents a series of recommendations on how to improve the current operations. There are 28 recommendations overall in this report which received cross-party support.

 

The full report is available at http://www.oireachtas.ie/viewdoc.asp?fn=/documents/Committees30thDail/J-EuropeanAffairs/SubCtteeRoleofOireachtas/homepage.htm

 

 

About European Movement Ireland

European Movement Ireland is a not-for-profit organisation working to make the connection between Irish people and the EU, campaigning for every Irish person to get involved with the European Union and by doing so, help shape it.

 

Our Executive Director is available for further comment – if interested, please contact Claire Tighe, Communications Officer at 01-6625815 or email claire@europeanmovement.ie.