[ad_1]
Mairead McGuinness faces a key hearing in the European Parliament this morning.
Ms McGuinness will replace Phil Hogan as European Commissioner for Ireland.
She will face questioning from MEPs from the Economic and Monetary Affairs Committee on whether she is qualified to take over the portfolio in charge of financial services, financial stability and the Capital Markets Union.
Mr. Hogan resigned as EU Commissioner following the Golfgate controversy.
Before the hearing, Ms. McGuinness will have sent the committee some responses to your questions in writing.
Subsequently, the responsible committee or committees draw up an evaluation letter.
Fianna Fáil MEP Billy Kelleher is one of the committee members and said it is vital that Ms McGuinness overcome this obstacle so that her appointment can move forward and the Commission can continue its work.
“It will move very quickly and we need to get one with the business.
“We cannot have much interference in terms of fee policy.
“We have big challenges in terms of Covid, economies in contraction across Europe. We need to get the recovery fund going. ”
Kelleher added that with Brexit continuing, the commission needed “no more political distractions.”
The commercial portfolio vacated by Mr Hogan has been assigned to the Commission’s Executive Vice-President, Valdis Dombrovskis, of Latvia.
Last month, Taoiseach Micheál Martin said he had no doubt that Ms. McGuinness “will serve with distinction and play a key role in the work of the Commission.”
EU Commission President Ursula Von Der Leyen said McGuinness has “significant political experience” in EU affairs.
“This experience is crucial to advancing the EU financial sector political agenda and ensuring that it supports and reinforces the Commission’s key priorities, in particular the dual green and digital transition.”
[ad_2]