Brendan Ryan (Labour)

I am sure Senator Mansergh would not want to lose me as he would have nobody to provoke him. The Government parties will probably have two Deputies running in Leinster, two in Connacht-Ulster and one elsewhere. If they are successful, the Government will conveniently postpone five by-elections until after the next general election. The derogation in the legislation, included for the convenience of the Government parties, serves the European Parliament badly because it does not state that doing the job of a Member of the European Parliament requires that one cannot be in two places. Either a Member of both the Oireachtas and the European Parliament will not be in a position to provide a proper service for his or her constituents and carry out his or her job as a legislator in this House, or he or she will not do his or her job as a Member of the European Parliament.

It is time we moved on by removing from the legislation the derogation negotiated in respect of the dual mandate. It is ridiculous that one is not permitted to be a member of a local authority and a Member of the Oireachtas simultaneously, but one may continue to be a Member of the Oireachtas and of the European Parliament simultaneously. That decision smacks of Government hypocrisy and I again invite the Minister to amend the legislation to provide that as of the next election, elected Members of the European Parliament must immediately resign their membership of the Oireachtas and by-elections will be held.

The public at large, commentators and others underestimate the significance of the European Parliament, including the role of co-decision in the legislative process and the need for a different kind of assembly such as the European Parliament to have people who are attentive to the detail of legislation given that one of its major roles is to co-determine EU legislation. This cannot be done by part-time Members. The job of Members of the Oireachtas cannot be done by people who are in the House half of the time and in Brussels or Strasbourg for the rest of their time, particularly given the functioning of the committee system. It offends both Parliaments to allow the dual mandate to persist until the next general election. It is a pity to observe a fundamental element of democracy, namely, the requirement to make authority accountable, being diluted in the Oireachtas and the European Parliament simply to suit the convenience of the Government.