Vol. 575 No. 3
163 Mr. P. Breen asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs if County Clare has been considered for venues for meetings during the Irish Presidency of the EU from January to June 2004; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28346/03]
At present, the calendar shows four meetings taking place in County Clare. The Tánaiste will host an informal meeting of the Competitiveness Council and the Minister for Education and Science will host a ministerial level youth conference. Two official level meetings are being organised by my Department – COREPER I, a meeting of the Deputy Permanent Representatives of EU member states, and a meeting of the Political and Security Committee.
In deciding where to hold meetings during the Presidency of the European Union, a number of issues need to be considered, including the number of attendees, security and the availability of appropriate accommodation.
