Terry Leyden (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

Mea culpa. I have no doubt the Minister of State will be returned again and again. The Minister of State was part of a committee on the enhanced role for national parliaments under the Lisbon treaty. The Leader of the House will bring forward a proposal that the Seanad would scrutinise European legislation from early January 2013, for which I commend him. I commend the Minister of State for pushing this forward. We have a role under the Lisbon treaty. No committee in the Oireachtas has more experience than the Seanad. It is an experienced committee representing all shades of opinion through its 60 Members.

I commend the Leader of this House who is pushing the boat out with the backing of the Minister for State and I hope that will start during our Presidency.