Rónán Mullen (Independent) | Oireachtas source

The EU is of increasing importance in all our lives and more and more decisions affecting Ireland are being made at EU level. What we can see is a two-fold development in respect of the European Parliament which is that more and more legislation is before it affecting our lives and impacting on our country in ways that are generally positive and, as Senator Terry Leyden and others have said, the European Parliament itself has more and more power within that process. There was a time when the European Parliament was largely a body that was consulted but we have moved to a co-decision situation where in more decisions in more areas the European Parliament's assent is required as well as that of the Council of Ministers. That is now represented as the ordinary legislative procedure. By and large, that is a good thing, in that the European Parliament represents the citizenry of the European Union whereas the Council of Ministers tends to represent the governments elected by the people.

In one sense we see an increase in direct democracy. The problem that poses is that within the European Parliament Ireland has a very small number of MEPs. Compared with the Council of Ministers, it is arguable that the Irish voice within that Chamber will struggle to make itself heard. It is not in our interests that we have gone from having 12 MEPs to 11. That means we must have all the more vocal and proactive MEPs and Independents have a particular role to play in that regard. In my CV to date I have worked in a different but similar body, namely, the Council of Europe. I was a member of the Irish parliamentary delegation for a year and had very productive co-operation with MPs from other European countries, not just European Union countries.

The EU is a mixed blessing. It is not loved. When I go around talking to people, apart from the fact that they are delighted to hear I am running as an Independent - the Minister will not be surprised to hear that Independents are popular at the moment-----