Charles Flanagan (Laois-Offaly, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

My understanding is that there is precedent for this committee to deal with such an agreement. Perhaps internal EU affairs issues would more properly be dealt with by the Joint Committee on European Union Affairs. We are discussing an agreement between the EU and a third country, namely, Singapore, and this type of arrangement has been dealt with by this committee in the past. Therefore, it was deemed appropriate by the House to refer it here. I am not sure if the Minister of State can add further to this matter but that would be, from a committee point of view, a matter for the House rather than a matter for his office.