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Dáil Éireann debate -
Tuesday, 9 Mar 1999

Vol. 501 No. 6

Written Answers. - EU Meetings.

Ruairí Quinn

Question:

132 Mr. Quinn asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs the name of the European Council of Ministers, if any, relevant to his Department; the number of council meetings he has attended since taking office; the number of meetings attended by an official or permanent representative in his absence; the number of meetings he has had with his equivalent European Ministers outside the Council of Ministers format since taking office; if officials from his Department meet regularly with Commission or other national officials; if so, the regularity with which they meet; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6723/99]

The General Affairs Council and the Development Council are the two formations of the European Unions Council of Ministers of primary concern to the Department of Foreign Affairs. In the normal course, as Minister for Foreign Affairs, I attended the General Affairs Council.

I also attend the informal meetings of Ministers for Foreign Affairs, or the Gymnich-type meetings as they are called, and which are usually organised once during each Presidency.

In the Development Co-operation area, the relevant body is the Development Council, which normally meets every six months, and which is normally attended by the Minister of State at the Department of Foreign Affairs with responsibility for development co-operation, Deputy O'Donnell.

I include for the Deputy's information lists of the meetings of the General Affairs Council, of the Development Council and of the informal meetings of Foreign Ministers, which have been held since the Minister of State and I, respectively, took up office.

The General Affairs Council meets, under normal circumstances, once per month and meetings are scheduled well in advance. In most cases it is possible for me, as Minister for Foreign Affairs, to arrange to be present. The Deputy will understand, however, that it can happen on occasion that other business might require particular attention at a particular time. On such occasions, I would normally be represented by a Minister of State or, in very exceptional circumstances, by the Permanent Representative to the European Union.

It can also happen that a particular meeting of the General Affairs Council may be held to discuss a particular issue, for instance, trade questions, and in such circumstances, the Council would be attended by the appropriate Minister, Minister of State, Deputy Tom Kitt, who has special responsibility for trade matters.

As the Deputy will be aware, officials from the Department of Foreign Affairs, in particular those posted at the Permanent Representation of Ireland to the European Union in Brussels, meet, almost on a daily basis, officials of the Council, of the Commission and national officials of other member states at Council and Commission work ing groups and other meetings. The Permanent Representative and the Deputy Permanent Representative would regularly meet members of the Commission.
Meetings of General Affairs Councils since 8 October 1997
10 November 1997: Minister for Foreign Affairs, Mr. David Andrews, T.D.
24-25 November 1997: Minister of State, Ms Liz O'Donnell, T.D. (On day prior to this meeting, Minister for Foreign Affairs completed a week long series of Anglo-Irish Meetings in both Belfast and London followed, by European Employment Summit in Luxembourg).
8 December 1997: Minister for Foreign Affairs, Mr. David Andrews, T.D.
11-12 December 1997 (Geneva): Minister of State at the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment, Mr. Tom Kitt, T.D.
26 January 1998: Permanent Representative of Ireland to the EU, Ambassador Denis O'Leary. (Minister for Foreign Affairs attended Anglo-Irish Strand II talks in London).
23 February 1998: Minister for Foreign Affairs, Mr. David Andrews, T.D.
30-31 March 1998: Minister of State at the Department of Health and Children, Mr. Frank Fahey, T.D., and Minister of State at the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment, Mr. Tom Kitt, T.D. (On both dates, Minister for Foreign Affairs attended Anglo-Irish talks in Belfast).
27 April 1998: Minister for Foreign Affairs, Mr. David Andrews, T.D.
18 May 1998 (Geneva): Minister of State at the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment, Mr. Tom Kitt, T.D.
25 May 1998: Minister for Foreign Affairs, Mr. David Andrews, T.D.
8-9 June 1998: Minister of State at the Department of Arts, Heritage, Gaeltacht and the Islands, Mr. Eamon Ó Cuív, T.D. (Minister for Foreign Affairs concluded a visit to Palermo for the Euro-Med Foreign Ministers meeting (4 June) and visited South Africa to meet President Mandela (4-8 June).
29 June 1998: Minister for Foreign Affairs, Mr. David Andrews, T.D.
13 July 1998: Minister for Foreign Affairs, Mr. David Andrews T.D.
5-6 October 1998: Minister of State at the Department of Finance, Mr. Martin Cullen, T.D. (Minister for Foreign Affairs accompanied President McAleese on State visit to Canada, 2-8 October).
26 October 1998: Minister for Foreign Affairs, Mr. David Andrews, T.D.
9-10 November, 1998: Minister for Foreign Affairs, Mr. David Andrews, T.D.
6-7-8 December 1998: Minister for Foreign Affairs, Mr. David Andrews, T.D. and Minister of State, Mr. Frank Fahey, T.D.
25 January 1999: Minister for Foreign Affairs, Mr. David Andrews, T.D.
21-22 February 1999: Minister for Foreign Affairs, Mr. David Andrews, T.D.
Informal Meetings of EU Foreign Ministers, since 8 October 1997, attended by Minister for Foreign Affairs, Mr. David Andrews, T.D.
25-26 October 1997: Mondorf-les-Bains (Luxembourg).
13-14 March 1998: Edinburgh (Scotland).
5-6 September 1998: Salzburg (Austria).
Meetings of Development Council, since 26 June 1997, attended by Minister of State, Ms Liz O'Donnell, T.D.
28 November 1997, 18 May 1998 and 30 November 1998.
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