Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael)

We do not agree to this. I listened to the Government Whip this morning saying that everything had been agreed here and that all was hunky-dory. We on this side of the House wrote about the proportions under the d'Hondt mechanism but have arrived at this situation, in any event. It seems to me as if acceptance of the committees is tantamount to accepting the terms of reference set out here. The terms of reference do not make sufficiently clear that any Member of the House is entitled to attend at committee proceedings. I have had complaints from a number of Deputies of various parties that, when attending committee meetings in the 29th Dáil, there was considerable difficulty in being called by the respective chairmen to ask questions or make contributions if they were not named members. While it is not within the House's remit to accommodate everybody on every committee, we should obviously be flexible in assuring that Members elected to the House, wherever they come from, are entitled to attend, participate and be seen to participate in committee proceedings. I believe the Taoiseach will accept that, too.

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