Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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I join my colleagues in welcoming our guests and compliment them on their comprehensive report. It is important that we have a barometer against which to measure our performance and that of our colleagues in the European Parliament. Every so often we need a reminder as to whether we are coming up to the mark.

I take a different view on attendance at meetings. It is very important to attend even the non-statutory meetings, whether with Ministers or MEPs, because decisions are made and policies are formulated at them. Sometimes they are used as opportunities to fly kites which suddenly return to ground as policy. It is important that we represent the people who elected us at these meetings. It is not possible for everyone to attend the various meetings in Brussels.

In a previous Dáil I was a member of four committees. I was unable to attend them all because they were not on at the same time. The problem we face now is that even though there are fewer committees in this Dáil than in the last one, their schedules appear to clash. The Order of Business and the quorum at the beginning of business clash with committee meetings. Two or more committee meetings are often scheduled for the same time. We need to avoid clashing as best we can.

Deputy Dooley asked about the appropriateness of particular committees to address issues. I have always taken the view that the Joint Committee on European Union Affairs should specialise in European scrutiny and European affairs by virtue of the fact that its members are attuned to what is happening in Europe. That does not mean members of other committees are not attuned but this committee is more focused. The committee faced a couple of glitches in its previous incarnations. On one occasion a sensitive issue was cleared by another committee which shall remain nameless. If the issue had come before this committee it would not have been approved and the country would have been saved considerable embarrassment. I am not telling tales out of school when I say that a member of the other committee approached me at the time to inquire whether this committee could hold a hearing on the issue. Unfortunately, the pass had been sold by the time we held our hearing.

On another occasion, a European directive which impacted on a sector of the community in Ireland was approved by the Government and a certain Minister refused point blank to appear before this committee. This is not a reflection on Ministers in general but it speaks volumes in itself. This Minister had no difficulty in meeting the appropriate sectoral committee. Everything is for a reason. I was critical of the Minister's decision at the time. I am not giving away any names, ranks or serial numbers.

The fact is the individual concerned at the time also opted for a sectoral committee. Why? My answer is that it was probably believed it might be possible to get the proposal past that committee more readily than the Joint Committee on European Union Affairs. I do not know what the reason was, but I know the outcome was unsatisfactory.

I do not agree with my colleague, Deputy Crowe, with regard to remaining silent or not asking questions. Whatever parliament or committee one is appointed to, one should try one's best to attend it at all times, whether one sees it as relevant or not. The relevance is not important. The predominant factor is that one has been appointed, elected or sent there by somebody. One should turn up on the day, raise the flag and attend the particular committee or networking group. These meetings may seem unimportant individually, but collectively they can be very important and can have a significant impact on the way we do our work and the acceptance or otherwise of what is done at European and national level.