20 ministers to address committees on EU legislation

Twenty senior and junior ministers will address 17 committees in the European Parliament over the next three days on their role in progressing EU legislation over the next six months.

The Irish politicians are scheduled to appear before the committees for an hour and a half each with some committees hearing from several ministers.

Richard Bruton, the minister for jobs, enterprise, and innovation, will address and be questioned by MEPs on five committees.

The committee that will see most ministers will be culture and education, with Education Minister Ruairi Quinn, Children’s Minister Frances Fitzgerald, Arts Minister Jimmy Deenihan, and junior sports minister Michael Ring.

Three of Ireland’s 12 MEPs — Sean Kelly, Nessa Childers and Liam Aylward — are substitute members of this committee.

On Wednesday the committee on industry, research, and energy (ITRE) will hear about progress on legislation relating to personal data and privacy. It will also hear from Mr Bruton and minister of state Sean Sherlock.

Three ministers will present their programme on Wednesday to the to the employment and social affairs committee — Joan Burton, the social protection minister, Richard Bruton, and minister of state responsible for education and skills, Ciarán Cannon.

On the agenda is a public hearing on European aid to the most deprived combating poverty across Europe, linked to the report of Labour MEP Emer Costello on the new fund for aid.

They will also hear from different associations representing those who care for vulnerable groups, and from the Dublin-based EU Foundation for the Improvement of Living and Working Conditions on their work programme for the year.

The environment, public health, and food safety committee will hear from Agriculture Minister Simon Coveney, Health Minister James Reilly, and Environment Minister Phil Hogan who are working on the revised tobacco directive.

Mr Noonan will address the important economic and monetary affairs committee tomorrow. The committee is dealing with a raft of legislation, including banking union.

Mr Noonan will also chair his first EU finance ministers meeting tomorrow in Brussels.