Peadar Tóibín (Meath West, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

Obviously, I have worked with Senator Harte and Deputy McConalogue in Donegal and we have worked well together on various issues in the county. I know from conversations I have had with some of the committee members that they are very ambitious for this committee and are determined, on an all-party basis, to put citizens at the heart of Parliament and to make them feel that their concerns and recommendations on changes of policy are taken on board. There is already a considerable volume of petitions that we must work through and I am looking forward to the challenge in the time ahead.

I thank the members. It is an honour to be elected as Chairman of this committee and I know that, as a team, we are all determined to work with the citizens. This is a very open Parliament. If one takes the audiovisual room, there is never a day when the Dáil is sitting, when there is not a civic society group in there, making the case for change. The Houses have approximately 100,000 visitors per year, making this one of the most open parliaments in the world. We are very proud of our democracy and this committee is another aspect of that. I thank members.