Damien English (Meath West, Fine Gael)

It is good to have a chance to say a few words on this issue. I should comment on the notion of Deputy Durkan going missing from this House for a week or two. If he was not heard for a day, a search warrant would be put out for him because his voice runs through committees and walls; nothing can block him.

It is good to see the Minister of State in the House for this important topic. As a member of the European scrutiny committee, I welcome the opportunity to speak. The Vice Chairman is here and the Chairman was here earlier. I will not comment specifically on the various reports but rather on the importance of the work we do and the ongoing importance in bringing it to the plenary sessions for discussion. We should encourage such a process.

I have been on the committee for over a year and found the work very interesting and informative. On the first day or two, when one gets the folders of material, one could cry but we got through the backlog in the first couple of months. The depression stopped and we got back to effective scrutiny.

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