Joe Costello (Dublin Central, Labour)

To follow Deputy Timmins' point on the Commissioner, the Taoiseach has already indicated there would be hearings between the three main political groupings in the European Parliament in regard to the possible appointment of President Barroso for a second term. It is welcome news that the European Council will press ahead with the appointment, as was suggested in some of the discussions in the past week.

What is the thinking in regard to a nominee for our Commissioner, who must be appointed by November? It is always extremely important that we get a strong Commissioner who will carry clout and get a strong portfolio. It was obviously part of the thinking of some of the "No" campaign that we, and each member state, would have a strong Commissioner who sits around the table and carries a fair amount of clout. Would it not be appropriate that we would have some form of hearing prior to the nomination of a Commissioner and that the House would be involved, rather than it being a simple act of the Executive? In that way, the eventual nominee would be the agreed nominee of the Oireachtas Members, which is appropriate given the proposed extra powers that will be given to the Oireachtas under the subsidiarity arrangements in the Lisbon treaty, if it goes through on the next occasion? The Minister might respond.

In the context of a question I asked in the course of my earlier remarks, can we get a commitment from the Government on the implementation of domestic legislation concerning workers' rights and social rights issues, particularly those enumerated by Deputy Gilmore in regard to Towards 2016? It is one thing to pay lip service to workers' rights but, while the amount of such rights to have come from Europe is extraordinary and our legislation and people's rights have been improved no end due to directives from the European Union, we are behind in the implementation and transposition of some of these issues. Can we get a commitment that critical areas such as the compliance legislation which is before the House and the issues of the agency workers directive, the posting of workers directive and industrial relations matters will be dealt with, that there will be some attempt to deal with them as far as is possible prior to 9 or 10 July and that there will be a commitment to address them afterwards if they cannot be addressed prior to the vote on the referendum?

It has been indicated in the media that it is part and parcel of the intentions of the Government to introduce a European Defence Agency Bill that would provide for certain provisions in regard to participation in the European Defence Agency. Will that legislation come to the House before the Dáil rises?

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