Ann Ormonde (Fianna Fail)

I thank the Minister of State and his officials for processing this Bill in the Seanad and for making it somewhat easier to understand. When I started to read this Bill I found it very technical. I agree with many of the points raised on the other side of the House in respect of transparency and that there is too much power going in one direction.

We do not emphasise enough the importance of getting the message out to the electorate. I would like the Minister of State to push for this House to have responsibility for informing the electorate about how the European Union works. That is the core of this Bill. We all worry that the so-called Mr. European is out there and is not involved with us. This is becoming more important in respect of directives. We must use this House, and the Forum on Europe and the Oireachtas Joint Committee on European Affairs to get our message out. I wish the Minister of State well in bringing the Bill through the Dáil.