Dáil Éireann debate -
Tuesday, 4 Apr 1995

Vol. 451 No. 5

Written Answers. - Ireland's Presidency of the EU.

Noel Davern

Question:

37 Mr. Davern asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs the total sums of money allocated for the preparation of Ireland's Presidency of the EU in 1996; the amounts spent since 1 January 1995; the number of personnel involved in the preparation, both inside and outside the Civil Service; and his programme for preparation and estimated spending up to 1 June 1995. [6488/95]

Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs (Mr. Spring)

A special provision of £3.5 million has been made in this year's Vote for the Department of Foreign Affairs for preparations for our 1996 Presidency. While this amount has been fully allocated for various Presidency-related purposes, most of the actual expenditure will take place in the latter part of the year. Further expenditure on Presidency preparations will occur in 1996 and the budget for this will be decided later this year.

A wide range of officials in my Department, at home and abroad, is involved in preparations for the Presidency. Officials in other Government Departments and Offices are also engaged in such work. While it is not possible to give a precise figure for the total number of officials involved, it may be assumed that all officers who work in areas connected with the European Union, as well as those concerned with Departmental management and administration, will be involved in the planning and running of our Presidency next year. There are no bodies outside the Civil Service working directly with my Department on Presidency preparations.

The programme of preparations for the Presidency in the period up to 1 June 1995 will involve a continuation of the planning which has been under way since last year. A number of working groups both within my Department and at the interdepartmental level are working on administrative and policy planning for the Presidency. A calendar of formal meetings to be held during the Presidency is under discussion with the Council Secretariat in Brussels. It is my aim, by the summer, to finalise as far as possible my Department's detailed staffing arrangements for the Presidency. Work is also continuing on the identification and preparation of the issues that will arise during our Presidency.