Susan O'Keeffe (Labour) | Oireachtas source

I welcome Ms Costello to the House. Many Members, particularly Senator Colm Burke, and to lesser extent myself, have been calling for a closer alignment with the activities of the European Parliament. We have not succeeded with the legislative side but certainly having Ms Costello and her fellow MEPs appear before the Seanad is welcome because it means we are trying to reach out and bring the affairs of the European Parliament closer to home. Her speech about the social investment pact was most welcome. Is it impossible to imbed it, as she described it, just from a European Union level? How does one reach out and get support from national governments as it will never come from a European Parliament standpoint, important though that is? In regard to the European youth guarantee she mentioned the potential for pilot projects quite soon. Does she have her eye on certain projects or has she certain projects that she believes would work to prove that the guarantee is real and not just a banner for politicians to fly to say: "Look at what we have done, is not that great"? or "Look, there is the European youth guarantee and it actually does something".

I feel sure that given her passion for the issue that there are probably projects that she has earmarked or consider would be a good model to prove its potential impact.