Timmy Dooley (Clare, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I extend a warm welcome to the delegation from Latvia and I am delighted to see the chairman of the European affairs committee, which we meet through COSAC. I want to frame a number of questions on the theme of working together at national parliament level and how the witnesses see that developing over the coming years.

As the Chairman said, we share some common goals and objectives and some common concerns in regard to the development of the European project. I am very interested in how we can develop links, as smaller states within the European project, to enhance our capacity to see the kind of issues common to us advanced rather than decry the development of two of the largest states effectively guiding us through the crisis, as has happened over the past year and a half, which I regularly do through this committee and in other areas. What are the witnesses' thoughts on how best we can further develop the network of smaller states? Do they think COSAC is a good way to do that? Should we try to do more bilateral work or should we work around particular issues of common concern? Should a number of smaller states meet outside the COSAC framework under others headings which are relevant to individual states?