Colm Burke (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank Mr. Mitchell for taking the time to attend and I also thank him for his help and assistance when I was a member of the European Parliament. He was always there to give good advice on how to deal with particular issues.

To follow on from the last speaker, my question concerns the role of the Seanad in dealing with EU regulations. I was at a meeting of the Joint Committee on Health and Children this morning, at which a presentation was made in regard to a new regulation on medical devices. The first question I asked was whether we have consulted the industry here, given that some 160 companies are making medical devices in Ireland. I asked that we inquire with them to find out whether they are happy with the regulation. This emphasises the point about our need to watch what is coming down the line. There are 12 Irish MEPs and I know we have good civil servants working at the Brussels level, watching regulation. From a ground level here in Ireland, however, we do not have enough mechanisms in place. This is why I have been pushing hard for the Seanad to take a role by setting aside two days a month to deal specifically with EU regulation. From Mr. Mitchell's experience - and he has a lot of experience of working in the Dáil, the Seanad and the European Parliament - what is his view of the way we monitor EU regulation? Does he consider we have enough mechanisms in place to deal with this at present? How does he see the Seanad using its role to make sure this is copperfastened and improved upon?