Mr. Maro? ?efovi:

I would like to close on a personal note. As I have told the committee, I am from Slovakia. I will never forget what Ireland did for my country. I still remember today, how warmly Slovakia was welcomed as a new member state. In the good old times, there was a big party in the main square in Cork. There was beer and a great atmosphere. We all felt so proud when our flag was presented, for the first time, at Dublin Castle, as one of the flags of the new EU member states. I remember it well personally, as do the other member states, because on that day we became new members of the European Union. I thank Ireland for the atmosphere, hospitality and the graciousness it showed us that day. I am making this point at the end of the discussion today because I wanted to focus, in my answers, on the questions asked by the committee members, and to respect the scrutiny and accountability which the members of this committee, as parliamentarians, Senators, and Members of the Dáil undertake on a daily basis. They ensure that democratic rules are properly respected, all decisions are properly scrutinised, and that they have all the information they need to make sure that they are doing the best job for their people. I very much respect that.

The members have asked about the timetable for the introduction of the new systems in the European Commission. As I said, we are introducing this clearing house, which is already happening right now. It was decided that under the Secretariat General, we will have horizontal oversight of all the measures taken concerning the trade and co-operation agreement, TCA. I can assure members that this implies even more focus on all issues related to the protocol on Ireland and Northern Ireland. It was also agreed that Commissioners with the highest stake in this new EU-UK relationship will meet at least once a month to take stock of where we are heading and to provide important updates, to make sure that we have political ownership and oversight of the development of this most important relationship.

I was asked about my colleague, Mairead McGuinness. I can tell the committee that she is an outstanding Commissioner and is responsible for a most important portfolio, namely, financial stability, financial services and capital markets. I very much treasure our friendship, her intimate knowledge of the situation on the island of Ireland and her involvement in discussions of all the pertinent issues linked to the protocol or to the future development of the relationship between the EU and the UK.

Of course, it is always an honour and a pleasure to be invited to address this committee. I will be happy to do so again in the future. I hope that I will be able to do it in person the next time. I hope that in the interim, good progress is made on the ground, as well as concrete results which lead to the full implementation of the protocol on Ireland and Northern Ireland.

Once again, I thank members for the invitation, for the questions posed and for the fair hearing I have been given. I appreciate it.