Lisa Chambers (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Chairman and I thank the witnesses for joining us. It is great to be able to engage with our MEPs. One of the reasons we sought this engagement is that we are in our infancy and are just starting out as a committee in this term. We felt it was important to get the views of our MEPs on key issues being debated at EU level, namely, migration, the rule of law and the future of Europe. Before we, as a committee, seek to delve further into those topics, it would be good to get a steer from our MEPs as to how things are progressing in those areas at an EU level and what the word on the ground is in the EU. I know from having spoken to Mr. Andrews that he had a particular view that we should be doing more domestically in respect of EU legislation. He might want to touch on that.

Migration is a contentious and controversial topic. It is difficult to discuss, but it is important that we discuss it. I know it is one of the biggest issues in terms of conversation at an EU level. The German ambassador spoke to the committee two or three weeks ago and she made it very clear that for Germany migration was the biggest issue. I would welcome the thoughts of the witnesses on what the committee should be looking at or focusing on and what they see as the key elements of the new pact on migration that is coming from an EU level and what that might means for Ireland. What is Ireland, as a member state, being asked to do in terms of migration?