Choose an MEP who will at least show up! – De Burca
Outgoing Sinn Fein MEP McDonald should quit now for poor attendance
Green Party Dublin MEP candidate Senator Deirdre de Burca today said a minimum qualification for the job was to show up for work at the European Parliament sittings.
“By that most basic criteria, outgoing Sinn Fein MEP Mary-Lou McDonald should quit now. Her attendance record is poor, her participation record in the European Parliament’s work is unimpressive and her excuses for all of this just don’t stand up to scrutiny,” Ms de Burca said.
The Green Party contender said a quick scan of the European Parliament’s own website produced some facts which were very damning of Ms McDonald’s non-commitment to her work.
“In 2008 Ms McDonald managed to attend 31 out 63 of the parliament’s full sittings. She managed to attend just eight out 22 committee meetings, she asked just six questions in a full year, and she delivered No report on EU law-making,” Senator de Burca said.
Ms de Burca said the SF MEP had tried to explain away her attendance difficulties by saying she was on maternity leave.
“But her maternity leave was in 2006 – these are the figures for 2008,” Ms de Burca said.
Senator de Burca also said Ms McDonald failed to vote at all on EU plans to privatise the post office services. Neither did she vote on the EU services directive – a measure which in its original form threatened to allow Irish bosses recruit workers from Eastern Europe on their much lower local pay and conditions.
“Ms McDonald likes to sound off about these two issues. Shame she wasn’t there when crucial decisions were being made about them.” Ms de Burca commented.
