Oireachtas committee grills Cowen in European affairs initiative

FOREIGN Affairs Minister Brian Cowen has been grilled for the first time by a new Oireachtas committee set up to scrutinise European Union affairs.

The new committee will examine key issues in advance of crunch decisions and recommend action which the Government will have to take on board.

Mr Cowen said that the new committee had the potential to place Ireland at the top of the European league in terms of parliamentary scrutiny of EU affairs.