Brian Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)

Committee Stage of the legislation will be taken in the normal way and will be dealt with efficiently. On the second question raised by the Deputy, that is a matter for the Government to decide upon. A Commission cannot be formed until a High Representative is appointed by the European Council because the High Representative will be a vice-chairperson of the Commission. The President of the Commission made this clear to me in a discussion I had at the weekend.

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