Seán Kyne (Galway West, Fine Gael)
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I welcome Ms Noelle O'Connell and Mr. Neale Richmond and commend them on their oversight report on the Oireachtas and our Ministers abroad.

European Movement Ireland recommends a consistent methodology for this tracking and analysis? How does it hope it will be implemented? Are different trends in the engagement of established member states and newer member states from the former eastern bloc with EU institutions emerging? How does Ireland compare with other member states when it comes to EU engagement? The number of parliamentary questions from Ireland’s MEPs, some 384, seems low. Are there other easier methods to gain information that they might use?

Committee attendance is a difficult one. This committee’s meetings often clash with those of the Joint Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation of which I am a member. The Taoiseach and other Ministers put a significant effort into attending European meetings. In the past, there was a view that previous Administrations had a lack of interest in attending European meetings and this Government had much to do in rebuilding Ireland’s reputation in this regard.