Dara Murphy (Cork North Central, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

-----it is clearly reaping benefits.

Sixty-three years ago, Schuman spoke of a community of nations and 40 years ago, Ireland joined the EEC, as it was at the time. We are now in our seventh Presidency. President van Rompuy referred to the four critical components of the European Union with banking union, fiscal union and economic union being the first three. I welcome the Taoiseach's comments about agreements to date being honoured. Deputy Eric Byrne and I attended this afternoon's meeting of the Joint Committee on European Union Affairs at which the fourth component was discussed, which is democratic legitimacy and accountability. I refer to one of the conclusions of the meeting of October 2012. Contrary to public opinion about national parliaments losing power to the European Union, the conclusion stated that one of the guiding principles in this context is to ensure that democratic control and accountability take place at the level at which decisions are taken and implemented. It concluded that in this spirit, ways to ensure a debate in the context of the European semester, both within the European Parliament and in national parliaments, should be explored.

I have two questions for the Taoiseach. Is the issue of democratic legitimacy and accountability still being discussed at European level? I know that our party - the EPP, for example, is suggesting a directly-elected President of the Commission. How does the Taoiseach envisage our Parliament developing further scrutiny and oversight of European decisions?

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