Since my appointment, I have been out of the country on seven official trips. The details are as follows: 3-6 October 2002, Philadelphia for a meeting of Coalition of Irish Immigration Centres; 22 November 2002, Glasgow for a British Irish Council meeting; 22-25 January 2003, Athens for a meeting of EU Ministers of labour and social affairs; 5-6 March 2003, Brussels for a council meeting of EU ministers for employment, social policy, health and consumer affairs; 13-15 March 2003, Oslo for St. Patrick's Day ceremonies; 21-23 May 2003, Ioannina for EU Presidency conference on the European social model; 2-3 June 2003, Luxembourg for a council meeting of EU ministers for employment, social policy, health and consumer affairs.