Nearly a quarter of Ireland's newly elected MEPs will serve on the European Parliament's committee scrutinising the environment, public health and food safety.
Fianna Fáil's Mr Liam Aylward and Ms Avril Doyle of Fine Gael, both representing the East constituency, and independent Ms Kathy Sinnott from the South, have been appointed as full members of the committee.
Political sources in Brussels say membership of the committee was much sought after and was hugely important for Ireland given its role in dealing with issues such as waste-management, recycling, environmental protection and foodstuff labelling.
There are 20 specialist committees of the parliament and MEPs are generally full members of at least one and may be substitute members of at least one more.
Members of the parliament are appointed to the various committees based mainly on preferences which they have put forward.
Committees dealing with the environment, budgets, economic and monetary affairs, legal affairs and foreign affairs are seen by the main political parties as highly prestigious.
Fine Gael is jubilant over the appointment of Mr Simon Coveney from the South constituency to the powerful foreign affairs committee. A party spokesman said the committee would be dealing with the process of further EU enlargement to take in countries such as Bulgaria, Romania, Croatia and Turkey.
The foreign affairs committee also deals with human rights, security and defence matters. It is expected to examine the situation in Darfur in Sudan.
Fianna Fáil's Mr Brian Crowley (South), the president of the UEN political grouping in the parliament, has been appointed as a member of the constitutional affairs committee, which, according to a spokesman, will examine the recently agreed EU constitutional treaty agreed under the Irish presidency. He will also serve as a substitute member on the legal affairs committee.
A Fianna Fáil spokesman said the party was also happy that its MEP for the North-West, Mr Seán Ó Neachtáin, had been appointed to the transport and tourism committee.
The spokesman said this was a particularly important committee given the proposed "open skies" air transport agreement between the EU and the United States,which could have implications for the future of Shannon airport.
Labour MEP Mr Proinsias De Rossa (Dublin) has been appointed as a substitute member of the foreign affairs committee while he and Sinn Féin MEP Ms Mary Lou McDonald (also Dublin) will serve on the committee on employment and social affairs.
Ms McDonald has also been appointed as a substitute member of the committee on civil liberties, justice and home affairs.
Fine Gael's Mr Gay Mitchell, who topped the poll in Dublin, and Fianna Fáil's Mr Eoin Ryan, also Dublin, have been appointed to the committee on economic and monetary affairs.
Former agricultural journalist and TV presenter Ms Mairéad McGuinness (East), who was elected for Fine Gael, has been appointed to the committee on agriculture.
Independent MEP Ms Marian Harkin and Fine Gael's Mr Jim Higgins (both North-West) will serve on the committee on regional development, which is viewed as an important committee for MEPs from the west of Ireland.
Of the three Northern MEPs, Sinn Féin's Ms Bairbre de Brún has been placed on the committee on regional development, Ulster Unionist Mr Jim Nicholson is a member of the committee on regional development and a quaestor at the European Parliament Bureau.
DUP MEP Mr Jim Alistair is on the committee on constitutional affairs and the committee on fisheries.
