A chara, – To suggest the performance and parliamentary output of Irish MEPs has decreased from 2011 to 2012 is misleading, and relies on simplistic surface statistics (European Movement Ireland report & votewatch.eu table, Judith Crosbie, News Agenda, May 7th).
First, exceptional personal circumstances have disproportionately affected the average Irish vote attendance statistics for 2012.
Second, to criticise the decrease in parliamentary questions misses the point entirely. Each parliamentary question submitted to the Commission by MEPs costs somewhere between €600 and €1,400 per question. This is due to the high translation costs involved in publishing the question and the answer in each of the 22 official EU languages.
This is a huge extra cost on top of the normal costs of research, administration, etc. To put a global figure on it, the cost of answering questions from all MEPs in a five-year period ranges from €36 million to €85 million. If anything, MEPs should be praised if they strive to be judicious in their use of taxpayers’ money for this very expensive parliamentary tool. In many cases, arranging a meeting with the appropriate Commission officials, or simply picking up the phone to call them, will lead to a speedier – and much more cost-effective – solution, and this is what I and many other MEPs try to do.
Furthermore, a parliamentary question only has value if it leads to a clear course of action based on the Commission’s answer. In other words, it is the quality rather than the quantity of questions that should be measured by analysts.
Finally, there is a black hole in the analysis of MEPs’ work in that the article neglects to assess the most important work done by MEPs: their legislative work. This involves the drafting, amending and shadowing of the opinions and reports which in many cases form part of the EU laws which govern so many aspects of citizens’ lives. This is the core of our work, where we as legislators influence European legislation.
I look forward to the day when the essential work done by MEPs on behalf of Irish citizens is assessed and measured with tools commensurate with its importance and relevance. – Is mise,
MARIAN HARKIN MEP,
European Parliament,
Brussels, Belgium.