Vol. 500 No. 4
62 Mr. Rabbitte asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the number of occasions within the past 12 months on which she has met the EU Commissioner for Social Affairs; the plans, if any, she has for future meetings with the Commissioner having regard to the extent to which matters covered by the EU Social Affairs Commissioner are the responsibility of her Department; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [4132/99]
As Minister for Labour, Trade and Consumer Affairs I have been delegated responsibility for matters arising in the context of the EU Labour and Social Affairs Council and related issues. During the past 12 months I have represented Ireland at five meetings of EU Ministers responsible for this policy area. The dates in question were 13-14 March 1998, 3-4 June 1998, 8-10 July 1998, 20 November 1998 and 4-6 February 1999.
The Commissioner for Social Affairs would have been present at these meetings in his official capacity. However, while I met with the Commissioner in the environs of the meetings in question, I did not have any direct bi-lateral meetings with him on any of these occasions or on any other occasion in the past 12 months. I have no immediate plans at this stage for future meetings with the Commissioner.
I should add that the Tánaiste, to whom the question was addressed in the first instance, does not attend meetings of the Labour and Social Affairs Council. However, I can tell the Deputy that the Tánaiste, accompanied by officials, did in fact have one formal meeting with the Social Affairs Commissioner in the past 12 months. The meeting in question took place in Brussels on 23 April 1998.
