Proinsias De Rossa:

On the issue of the European Union being too bureaucratic, if there are to be 25 member states trying to find a common position, it is inevitable that it will entail bureaucracy. It is impossible to have a Europe that works unless there are various levels of bureaucracy. The important issue from an Irish perspective – I made this point to the Joint Committee on European Affairs – is that it is essential that Oireachtas Members, particularly those who are members of committees examining European business, have the resources to do the job effectively. There is no point, as I have often done, in dashing into a committee with a few notes on the back of an envelope. European issues cannot be examined and tracked on that basis. Senators and Deputies need the support and resources to do the job effectively.