Fidelma Healy Eames (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

Mr. Lidington and his staff are very welcome. He spoke about democratic accountability and national parliaments having a bigger role in decision-making. Despite what we do in Ireland, Irish citizens often feel removed from the EU. I am presuming from what Mr. Lidington said that this is also the case in the UK. Are there adequate opportunities for citizens to engage in decision-making? I refer to the second Lisbon treaty and the red card-green card system. How often has the UK Parliament referred back EU legislation and directives?

Mr. Lidington stated that the next generation in Europe may not be able to afford the levels of social protection. We agree completely. As a member of this committee I have attended a number of conferences in Europe. I learned at one meeting that if the EU services directive were implemented, it would increase growth by at least 2% across the Union. It was at 2% approximately, in Ireland. What is Mr. Lidington doing to ensure this directive will be implemented? Its implementation is a no-brainer, so to speak. It would remove legal and administrative barriers to trade and it would introduce something as simple as an e-signature, an electronic signature. This directive was agreed in 2006 and it still has not been implemented.