Seanad debates

Thursday, 6 November 2003

European Communities (Amendment) Bill 2003: Second Stage.

 

I would like that practice taken a stage further. I suggested in a submission to the sub-committee on Seanad reform that the Minster of State with responsibility for European affairs, Deputy Roche, should bring directives in respect of which debate is required before the House on Second Stage. That would allow Senators on all sides to express opinions. Once the debate had taken place, the directive could be sent to the relevant joint committee for further debate. Following that process, the directive should return to the House on Report Stage before being returned. While that system might seem unwieldy, it involves the parliamentary process and the representatives of the people. Hopefully, the media would report on the process in which case the public would be more engaged with what was happening in Europe. We would not then have the arguments we have seen about the size of the British sausage or the other silly directives which have created enormous anti-European feeling in the neighbouring United Kingdom.

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