Michael McDowell (Independent) | Oireachtas source

I received an amended notice or indication of what would transpire tomorrow, including a motion regarding the State opting into the European regulations underlying the migration and asylum pact. I asked that the Joint Committee on Justice engage in a serious consideration of the proposal. This has the effect of bringing into Irish constitutional law, in effect, obligations and a surrendering of sovereignty rights of the most serious and far-reaching kind. I asked the clerk of the committee to ask the Cathaoirleach to agree that we could have a decent consideration involving taking witnesses and seeing where this was going to bring us and what was involved. I was told that this was not envisaged and that what was envisaged for next Tuesday was a half-day session where the only material available to the committee would be a briefing by the Minister for Justice.