Mary Harney
Question:13 Miss Harney asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs if he will give details of the programme for the remainder of Ireland's Presidency of the EU. [16476/96]
Written Answers. - EU Presidency.
Joe Walsh
Question:24 Mr. J. Walsh asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs the way in which he intends to make the remaining three months of the EU Presidency relevant to the Irish people in view of the commitment given to make the EU more relevant to its citizens during the recent state of the union address. [17275/96]
Mary Harney
Question:52 Miss Harney asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs if he will report on the progress, if any, made on the key issues relating to Ireland's Presidency of the EU. [19854/96]
All Deputies have received copies of the document Priorities for the Irish Presidency of the Council of the European Union which was published at the start of the Presidency last July. This document details the priorities of Ireland's Presidency of the European Union for each Council formation and outlines the programme of issues which we face during our term. Copies of this document, together with draft agendas for Council meetings, have been lodged in the Oireachtas Library.
With regard to the programme of events, as I indicated to the House in response to questions on 6 February, 25 March, 30 May, 4 July and 25 July, and in my statement on the Florence European Council and on the Irish Presidency of the European Union on 26 June, three documents have been lodged in the Oireachtas Library. These are: a calendar detailing meetings of the European Council, the Council of Ministers, plenary sessions of the European Parliament, informal meetings of the Council of Ministers and meetings of the Committee of Permanent Representatives; a list of Presidency related meetings in Ireland, identifying the subject matter of each meeting and its location; and the schedule for Intergovernmental Conference related meetings during our Presidency. These documents are updated regularly and I will continue to lodge updates in the Oireachtas Library on a regular basis during the course of the Irish Presidency.
The main priorities of the Irish Presidency remain the Intergovermental Conference, IGC, economic and monetary union, European Monetary Union, EMU, employment and growth, the fight against crime and the range of external relations issues facing the Union. All these issues are of direct concern to the citizen.
For example, the Intergovernmental Conference, for which I have direct competence, aims to bring the European Union closer to its citizens. The conference is considering strengthening Treaty provisions in areas such as employment and the environment and, in the Justice and Home Affairs area, particular emphasis is being given to the fight against international crime and drug trafficking. Providing for greater transparency and openness in the work of the Union is also being considered. The general outline for a draft revision of the Treaties which the Presidency will submit to the European Council in December will address these concerns in a direct and effective way.
The Intergovernmental Conference, European Monetary Union, employment and growth, the fight against crime and external relations issues will be all on the agenda of the Dublin European Council in December. I am confident that significant progress on the full range of the priorities for the Irish Presidency will be recorded there. As far as the Intergovernmental Conference is concerned, we are on target to provide a general outline for a draft revision of the Treaties as requested by the Florence European Council last June.