Sharon Keogan (Independent) | Oireachtas source

All the delegates are welcome here today. I am delighted they came before us and made presentations. One of the first issues I spoke about when I became a member of this committee was having a bottom-up approach when it comes to Europe. I have very much advocated for a European strategic policy committee, SPC, for every local authority, which is important, and for there to be a European department in every local authority in the country. The top-down approach does not work. It does not provide for engaging with the citizen as much. That should happen locally. I come from a local government background and I know how distant the gap is from local government to European affairs. It is all very well for us to haul in before this committee the Minister with responsibility for local government, Deputy Darragh O'Brien, or the Minister of State with responsibility for European affairs, Deputy Byrne, but the money has to come from somewhere for funding SPCs. Some counties already have a European affairs department. They have not only a European affairs officer but also a department. Some councils are doing it really well. What would the delegates' message be today for other councils, and for the Minister with responsibility for European Affairs, the Minister for Foreign Affairs and the Minister with responsibility for local government, as to how best they can work with them to have a bottom-up approach to Europe that is not there currently?