Vol. 557 No. 2
105 Ms Lynch asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs the plans there are for an early meeting of the British-Irish Council, especially in view of the suspension of the institutions in Northern Ireland; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18926/02]
The next meeting of the British-Irish Council is scheduled to take place in Scotland on Friday, 22 Nov ember. It will be hosted by the First Minister of Scotland, Mr. Jack McConnell, MSP. This will be the fourth summit-level meeting of the Council and will focus on the issue of social inclusion, the area of work in which Scotland and Wales have taken the lead within the BIC. Further meetings of the Council are scheduled to take place at official or Ministerial level in the near future in other areas of its work, including on the issue of the misuse of drugs, in which the Irish Government takes the lead. The Government remains fully committed to the British-Irish Council and to all the institutions of the Good Friday Agreement.
