Eric Byrne (Dublin South Central, Labour) | Oireachtas source

First, I wish to praise the IIEA on the work it has done and is continuing to do, as well as to welcome the witnesses before the joint committee. I have one query on the contribution the institute made on the analytical note, which was made prior to the five presidents' report. Were all comparable bodies in Europe like the IIEA asked to make a submission or was that simply coincidental or accidental? From the submission the IIEA made, do the witnesses believe that many of the points raised by the institute were incorporated into the five presidents' report? On the question of the semester, Mr. Tutty stated it is "still at a fairly superficial level and needs to be developed into a more in-depth process". I do not know a great deal about it except it was debated prominently here this year because one country-specific recommendation was that the State should try to address the long-term poverty in which lone parents find themselves and that a disproportionate number of people are trapped in poverty resulting from lone parenting. That has budgetary implications and the Government committed itself to implementing the recommendation. In the context of how these recommendations were formulated, I believe only three were produced this year whereas last year there may have been seven, eight or nine country-specific recommendations. Can the witnesses explain whether they are happy with the formula which is at play and which presents us, as parliamentarians, and the Government in general with country-specific recommendations? Is it fair? Is it analytical or is it fairly superficial or whatever in their eyes?