Vol. 414 No. 9
2 Mr. Quinn asked the Taoiseach if, in view of the Spanish success in negotiating the cohesion protocol in Maastricht, he has any plans to arrange for bilateral meetings between Irish and Spanish Government Ministers to co-ordinate the approach to structural and cohesion funds; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
The protocol was not an issue of "success" for one cohesion country or another. Throughout the Intergovernmental Conferences, the four less prosperous members states supported each other's proposals and co-operated closely. We propose to continue with this course of action.
The proposal for a protocol was put forward by Ireland and the entire outcome of the Maastricht meeting in regard to cohesion vindicated the Irish assessment, made as far back as this time last year, as to an attainable outcome for the Summit.
The matter was pressed over a long time by the Minister for Foreign Affairs and our negotiators. I personally pressed it at my meetings with Commission President Delors on 19 November 1991, with Mr. Lubbers, the President of the European Council on 22 November, and with President Mitterrand on 5 December.
