Brian Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)

With the entry into force of the Lisbon treaty on 1 December last, both Houses of the Oireachtas must be in a position to exercise their new responsibilities under the treaty, as outlined in the European Union Act 2009. While the Act sets out the role of the Houses, it is a matter for them to agree internal arrangements and rules for the exercise of that new role. To this end, the Joint Oireachtas Committees on European Scrutiny and European Affairs agreed on 8 December a joint report recommending these interim arrangements to enable the Houses to exercise these new powers without delay.

This is a technical motion, which provides for the implementation of the recommendations of the joint report until the adjournment of the Dáil for the summer recess next year. In the interim, the two committees will jointly conduct a detailed consultation process with a view to preparing a comprehensive report on the permanent structures and arrangements that should be put in place by the Houses of the Oireachtas. That then will inform the Committee on Procedures and Privileges in proposing the necessary changes to Standing Orders. A mirror motion is required in the Seanad.

With regard to Deputy Quinn's comments, it would be timely if, in the new year, we took an opportunity to have a debate in the House on these matters generally. Having been a member of the Joint Committee on European Affairs in the past, I take the point, particularly in the context of the changes in the Lisbon treaty and the role for national parliaments, that the Oireachtas must update itself regarding new arrangements, which will give a proper and appropriate role to our Parliament in considering legislation, and the powers national parliaments have under the treaty on whether legislative proposals can proceed at European Parliament level, which depend on the expressed wishes of national parliaments. All sides of the House have always subscribed to the principle of subsidiarity and we need to give effect to it in a practical way. With the agreement of the House, based on the joint committee report, we should take the motion without debate, as agreed, on the basis that we should, as part of the consultation process that will begin, have a plenary debate in the new year on where we go from here.

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