Mary O'Rourke (Fianna Fail)

Senator Brian Hayes declared this a good day for the European Parliament and I agree. The Members of the European Parliament have rights and they exercised them. Others would wish they did not but the general feeling in this Chamber is that we were glad they did. The Senator sought a debate on the European issue. He also said he was glad that the Commission President blinked rather than the parliamentarians. I believe the parliamentarians never intended to blink and that they were determined to follow through on their rights, as they did.

The Senator also referred to Bishop Willie Walsh's sensible and forthright statements yesterday. I, too, read those statements with delight. I am glad he was so forthright on the matter. The Senator asked if we could set up a standing committee of the House with the aim of framing a Green Paper on those issues. That is a matter for the Committee on Procedure and Privileges. We could put a query to the Cathaoirleach on that matter. The Senator also stated that Senator Terry produced a paper on the matter which was briefly discussed on the Order of Business last year.

Senator Norris blamed the President of the Commission, Mr. Barroso, for the line taken in the recent dispute. I would blame him for arriving 15 minutes late and not giving an apology. If one was five minutes late for a class, one would apologise, but he arrived and said nothing. It was not a good basis on which to start.

The Senator asked why Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael were prepared to support Commissioner Buttiglione. While I imagine this was seen as pragmatic and the thing to do, I commend those who decided they would not support him. The law is wrong and should be amended so one can disagree with the nomination of one Commissioner without disagreeing with the entire 24. Underlying this is the point that Deputy McCreevy has no job in Europe while there is no job here for him.