Proinsias De Rossa:

I greatly appreciate the opportunity to speak here today. I previously had the opportunity to speak in the Seanad some years ago. It is quite an innovation for the Seanad to introduce non-Oireachtas members to the Chamber to deal with important issues.

Proinsias De Rossa:

One of the most significant aspects of the debate within the Convention has been the attention given to the role of national parliaments. There has been general agreement that national parliaments have a distinct role to play within the European Union and that enhancing their involvement would help to strengthen the democratic legitimacy of the Union and bring it closer to its citizens. The specific role of national parliaments within the European Union relates to their capacity to influence European Union decisions through dialogue with their governments; effective scrutiny of EU legislation along the lines recently introduced in the Oireachtas; and a proposed formal capacity to monitor the respect of the principles of subsidiarity and proportionality of decisions made by the European Union.