Terry Leyden (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I welcome our guests Mr. Cormac Ó Culáin, public affairs manager, and Mr. Ken Murphy, director general, from the Law Society of Ireland, and Ms Deirdre Finlay, European programmes manager, and Mr. Ivan Cooper, director of public policy, from The Wheel. The representatives' presentations are going out live which gives the other Members in the Houses the opportunity to listen and the wider audience because this meeting is broadcast on the Oireachtas platform.

I have learned more about The Wheel today just by the fact of the witnesses being here, and I have been looking at its website too, which is very impressive and comprehensive. I note that our former colleague, Member and Minister of State, Áine Brady, is a member of The Wheel's board. The organisation is doing tremendous work and probably does not get the recognition it deserves at times. Perhaps it is getting it here today, which is good. As my colleague, Deputy Haughey, has said, the points made by The Wheel representatives will be listened to and heard, it is hoped, by the Ministers who are looking in at the moment. I fully support it.

I acknowledge the point the witnesses have made on getting funding from the European Union. Matching funding is very hard for some organisations. If there was a fund that could be tapped into, it would mean the money could be released. It sounds like a logical point of view and I would recommend the organisation pursue it, either with the Department of the Minister, Deputy Ring, or perhaps it would be sections in Department responsible for family affairs or for social affairs. I am not sure who is responsible. It would perhaps depend on what type of application is involved. The principle is very good. Some organisations are losing money by not having matching funds.

As the Oireachtas Joint Committee on European Affairs, we should take the points on board. The work being done in the EU by The Wheel is vitally important. It is the conduit between the European Union and funding. This can be a mystery area for many people and for smaller organisations. The Wheel has the backup of excellent, very qualified staff who know their way around Brussels. This is very important because there are a number of different projects there that can be tapped into, provided one knows what is there.

I was on the Council of Europe for ten years. The Council of Europe also has projects that can be looked at in the context of communities and community awards. It may not be massive funding but the facility is there to work with the Council of Europe. There are 47 countries in the Council of Europe, which is more than in the European Union. All EU members states are members of the Council of Europe and there are also members from abroad, including Canada. There are the links there with the different organisations. It is a very good idea. The secretariat and the Chairman agreed that the witnesses would come here today, but it is a very worthwhile exercise.

I see the work that Mr. Cormac Ó Culáin is doing with public affairs and the Law Society of Ireland with regard to Brexit. He has put together a very useful document that is available to the society's members. It is useful because there is so much dialogue going on and so many publications all over Europe, but Mr. Ó Culáin has pulled it together into a comprehensive document. The Law Society of Ireland is an enormous organisation, and especially now with our colleagues in the United Kingdom. Brexit will come and Brexit will go, but the links between the United Kingdom and Ireland will continue after Brexit. It is the end of one relationship with the European Union, but it is a continuation of our relationship, which has thrived in the past. This link is very important to keep the Irish flag flying. The Law Society of Ireland is in a good position and its members can practise in both jurisdictions. The number of people who have applied for membership is very impressive. These people will be very influential for us where jobs are concerned.

The work being done by Mr. Ó Culáin is vitally important in the EU context because it is networking Ireland's position with its colleagues in Europe. The society has a very broad church. It has United Kingdom links with the law society there, which will continue, and it has the continuation of Ireland's membership of the European Union and the links there. The Law Society of Ireland is doing very important work and it is good that the witnesses are highlighting it here today, which was the whole point of the Chairman and our secretariat asking the witnesses here. It is about networking and, let us be honest, Ireland is pretty good at it. The witnesses' colleagues in the Law Society are good at it also. I say "Well done" and we are very glad to have the representatives here today.