Paul Bradford (Independent) | Oireachtas source

No. 22 on the Order Paper, a Bill in the name of Senators Barrett, Heffernan and myself, deals with the appointment of the Irish nominee to the European Commission. I appreciate, with the way we do political business here, it is difficult for individual Senators to have a Bill debated, but I would ask the Leader to at least consider the possibility of debating No. 22. Should that not be possible, it would be appropriate that we would proceed by way of statements on the question of the Irish nomination to the European Commission. It is a matter which is currently being debated in the media and we have to appreciate the seriousness of the process underway.

Whoever is appointed by the Government must play a significant role in the further development of European politics and also play a role on behalf of this country, and we must consider the suitability of those being proposed for the job. It is not absolutely necessary that the appointee or nominee be a member of Cabinet or, indeed, be a Member of the Oireachtas. That may be the way business was done traditionally but I would ask all of my colleagues here to reflect on what was said, for instance, when former Minister, Mr. Charlie McCreevy, was nominated and when Mr. Richard Burke was nominated in the 1980s by then Taoiseach, the late Mr. Charlie Haughey. It was seen as a nomination to solve a political problem. Our appointment to the European Commission must not be about solving a political problem or getting somebody off the pitch on the basis that he or she is a vote loser at home or might not win his or her Dáil seat in the next election. We must appoint somebody who is suitable for the job, who fulfils the criteria and who has knowledge and experience of European and domestic politics. We should have a broad trawl of suitable candidates.

If we cannot debate No. 22, I would ask the Leader that we would have statements on the process and perhaps invite the Taoiseach to inform us of his thinking of what kind of candidate is suitable, not only to represent Ireland in Europe but to play a strong, dominant role in the further enhancement of the European Union.