Finance Committee to visit Bundestag

A delegation from the Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform will visit the Bundestag in Berlin tomorrow as part of a working mission to meet counterparts in the German Budgetary and European Affairs Committees.

Committee Chairman Alex White, TD: “The purpose of our visit tomorrow is to establish direct working relationships with parliamentary colleagues in the Bundestag, and to discuss areas of mutual interest, including the current treaty negotiations on the proposed fiscal compact. At a time of great uncertainty and concern about the future, it is essential that a line of contact and exchange should open up between elected parliamentarians across the European Union. We are looking forward to positive, frank and open discussion, and will also take the opportunity to reflect on the controversy about Irish budget details being revealed in the Bundestag, before they came before the Dáil last December. I hope this is only the beginning of a much-needed process of discussion, debate and mutual understanding.”

The official delegation will be led by Deputy White and includes Liam Twomey, TD; Michael McGrath, TD; Pearse Doherty, TD; and Richard Boyd-Barrett, TD. Four other Committee Members will accompany the delegation at their own expense.

The Delegation’s Programme includes:

Meeting with Berlin based Irish business community representatives

Working breakfast with members of the German-Irish Parliamentary Friendship Group of the Bundestag

Meeting with Petra Merkel MdB, Chair of the Budgetary Committee of the Bundestag and selected Committee Members

Working lunch with Budgetary Committee

Meeting with Chair, Gunther Krichbaum MdB, Chair of the European Affairs Committee of the Bundestag and selected Committee Members

Briefing and exchange of views with the Organisation of German Taxpayers

Briefing and exchange of views with the German Institute for Economic Research

Meeting with Prof. Helmut Anheier, Dean of the Hertie School of Governance