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NI MPs attending Dail committee NI MPs attending Dail committee
(about 10 hours later)
Northern Ireland's 18 MPs are to be allowed to attend committee meetings in the Irish parliament from Thursday. Sinn Fein and SDLP MPs are in Dublin for the first meeting of the parliamentary committee reviewing the workings of the Good Friday Agreement.
The privilege is likely to be used by nationalists but ignored by unionists. Northern Ireland's 18 MPs were allowed to attend committee meetings in the Irish parliament from Thursday.
The privilege was used by nationalists but unionists declined the invitation.
MPs will not be allowed to vote in the Dail, but can attend meetings such as the new committee on the Implementation of the Good Friday Agreement.MPs will not be allowed to vote in the Dail, but can attend meetings such as the new committee on the Implementation of the Good Friday Agreement.
There will be several Sinn Fein and SDLP representatives on the committee for its inaugural meeting in Leinster House in Dublin. Alasdair McDonnell and Eddie McGrady from the SDLP and Sinn Fein's Pat Doherty and Michelle Gildernew are at the committee meeting.
They include Sinn Fein's Fermanagh/South Tyrone MP Michelle Gildernew, the party's West Tyrone MP Pat Doherty, SDLP South Belfast MP Alasdair McDonnell and South Down SDLP MP Eddie McGrady. The four were joined by TDs and senators from the Republic in their work reviewing how the Good Friday Agreement is being implemented.
Parliamentary bodies The Northern Ireland MPs can take part in the committee's debates but will not have a right to vote or to move motions and amendments.
Sinn Fein's Dail group leader Caoimhghin O Caolain said: "The establishment of the Oireachtas Committee on the Implementation of the Good Friday Agreement is a very welcome and significant step forward. The meeting was expected to see the election of a chairman and deputy chairman.
"Myself, Pat Doherty and Michelle Gildernew will attend the meeting and put forward our recommendations on the urgent work which the committee needs to address," he said. Before going into Leinster House, Sinn Fein's Caoimhghin O'Caolain described the committee as a "very welcome and significant step forward".
Oireachtas committees are cross-party parliamentary bodies made up of Dail and Seanad members.
They shadow various departments and deal with a range of investigations to advise the government.
Sinn Fein has made longstanding calls for speaking rights for Westminster MPs in the Dail and Seanad.
This was backed by an Oireachtas committee in 2002, but the process to implement this has stalled.