Maurice Cummins (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I move:

That Seanad Éireann adopts the EU Scrutiny Work Programme 2013, Joint Committees' Priorities, which was laid before Seanad Éireann on 2 May 2013 by the Joint Committee on European Union Affairs.

I already mentioned part of this programme on the Order of Business. In its annual report on the operation of the European Union (Scrutiny) Act 2002, which was laid before the Houses of the Oireachtas on 20 July 2012, the Joint Committee on European Union Affairs recommended that sectoral committees should identify on an annual basis those legislative and non-legislative proposals from the European Commission's annual work programme, which it would subject to detailed scrutiny and that these would be forwarded to the Joint Committee on European Union Affairs for inclusion in an agreed list of priorities. The joint committee would then report to the Houses on an agreed list of priorities, which should be adopted by motion of both Houses as the Oireachtas EU scrutiny work programme.

This is the first such Oireachtas EU scrutiny work programme prepared following that recommendation. Each of the sectoral committees discussed and identified their own priorities from the European Commission's annual work programme 2013.

This work programme, which the Seanad as well as the Dáil has been asked to adopt, represents all the priorities already identified by the relevant joint committees into which Senators have had input as members of the relevant sectoral committees.

The Commission's work programme is aspirational and most of the proposals have not yet been published but will be during the year and they will be considered by the joint Oireachtas committee at that point. The idea behind a prioritised work programme is that it helps to differentiate major policy issues and legislative proposals from less important or technical ones, as there can be up to 500 legislative proposals in any one year. It also assists committees in considering issues earlier in the legislative cycle, thereby improving the capacity of the Parliament and committees to shape and influence the formal legislative measure when it is first published.

The reason for putting the work programme before both Houses is that it is then an Oireachtas work programme rather than individual committees' work programmes, thus giving it a greater status. It also informs Members in good time of the range of important EU proposals which are coming down the track.

As I informed the House last year, the Seanad sought extra resources to deal with an EU work programme but they were not granted. The Oireachtas Joint Committee on European Union Affairs is bringing this motion forward to allow it to scrutinise EU legislation in a far greater way and at an earlier stage than was the case previously. The motion will allow the EU work programme to be dealt with by the Oireachtas Joint Committee on European Union Affairs and I commend it to the House.

However, there are other areas in which the Seanad should be involved outside the parameters of the Oireachtas Joint Committee on European Union Affairs. We certainly do not want duplication, that is, this committee doing something which the House intends to do. However, this committee is charged with this task at this point.

As many of the MEPs who spoke to us over the past number of weeks suggested, we could have a significant input into European affairs outside the remit of the Oireachtas Joint Committee on European Union Affairs. Perhaps sooner rather than later, we should appoint a sub-committee to bring a proposal to the Seanad to examine the types of proposals necessary in EU legislation that it can deal with outside the remit of the Joint Committee on European Union Affairs.

As I said, I do not want duplication but I commend the motion. Greater scrutiny of EU legislation by the Joint Committee on European Union Affairs is to be welcomed but the Seanad should have a greater role in European affairs.