Seán Kyne (Galway West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I welcome Mr. Jacobs and thank him for his contribution. This time next year we will have 600 plus fewer county councillors, and depending on the passage of the referendum on the abolition of the Seanad, we may have fewer Members of the Oireachtas in 2016. The number of politicians in Ireland will be reduced. That will give more of a profile or the possibility of a higher profile for MEPs. Does Mr. Jacobs agree that this scenario would offer an opportunity to our MEPs?

European elections are often dominated by national issues. I am sure in other countries that local and European election coincide, in order to boost turnout and save money. Will we ever reach the stage in which the elections to the European Parliament will be focused entirely on European issues? I know we have very good debates on the national media when European elections are being held. The increase in the power and influence of the European Parliament, while a positive development, has implications for the smaller member states because as such states have lower numbers of MEPs. This leads to a perception that the influence of the power of the European Parliament lies with the larger states. That is a concern, and as Deputy Joe O'Reilly stated we are likely to lose one MEP in the next review.

When it comes to choosing a President of the European Parliament, would that choice be determined by the party, the nationality of the various candidates, the language abilities of candidates, which is a positive for those who are multilingual, or the political blocs to which they belong? Would it play into the hands of those parties that chose a candidate from a smaller or a neutral country?