*Senator Martin Conway.
SENATOR Martin Conway (FG) has been appointed as Chairperson of the newly established Seanad Select Committee on Scrutiny of EU-related Statutory Instruments.
A first public meeting of the committee was held last week. It will take the lead in scrutinising draft statutory instruments which transpose EU Directives into Irish law.
Ennistymon native Conway said he was “absolutely delighted” to be elected to the role. He explained, “Many reports on Seanad reform have recommended that the House should have a much greater role in scrutinising EU legislation and I’m looking forward to working on this with my colleagues on the Committee”.
Conway who has been successful in three elections to the Seanad since 2011 outlined, “We will be holding Ministers and Departments accountable for unnecessary delays in transposing directives which will benefit the people of Ireland”.
From 2004 to 2011, he was an elected member of Clare County Council while in February 2020 he was an unsuccessful candidate in the General Election. He is currently Fine Gael’s Seanad spokesperson on Justice and Equality.
Taoiseach, Leo Varadkar (FG) stated, “Martin, and the Committee, will play a crucial role in ensuring greater transparency in how EU directives are transposed into Irish law, and their implications for the wider public. This Committee will also bring a greater level of scrutiny and oversight to the Government Departments responsible for these efforts. A huge body of Irish law has its foundations in EU directives and regulations. Proper and ongoing scrutiny of this by our national Parliament makes sense. I am very pleased that the Seanad will be fulfilling this role”.
