In his role as Chairman of the Oireachtas Committee on Ireland’s Future in Europe Paschal organised a meeting between the Catholic Primate, Cardinal Sean Brady and this Oireachtas Committee. In the meeting Cardinal Brady questioned the current direction of the European Union and whether it was undermining Europe’s Christian heritage.
He also referred to the role of bureaucracy in the European Union and how it is perceived by it’s citizens. Paschal responded to his comments by asking the Cardinal to confirm that one could be a good Roman Catholic and still support the Lisbon Treaty and the current direction of the European Union. Paschal also questioned the claim that European social policy was undermining Christian beliefs, pointing to the fact that many sensitive issues were decided by domestic politicians not European judges.
The work of the committee continued when they meet other speakers including Mr David Begg of ICTU, a representative of the ESRI and members of the European Anti Poverty Network.