Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 1 July 2008
342 Deputy Leo Varadkar asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment if, during or following her meeting on 18 January 2005, with the Chinese Minister of Commerce, Bo Xilai, she received gifts; if so, the gifts she received; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [25754/08]
View answer343 Deputy Leo Varadkar asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment if, during or following her meeting on 19 January 2005, with President Hu Jintao of China, she received gifts; if so, the gifts she received; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [25755/08]
View answer344 Deputy Leo Varadkar asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment if, during or following her meeting on 6 January 2007, with the Egyptian Minister for Trade and Industry, Rachid Mohamed Rachid, she received gifts; if so, the gifts she received; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [25756/08]
View answer345 Deputy Leo Varadkar asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment if, during or following her meeting on 7 November 2007, with the Egyptian Minister for Higher Education, Hany Mahfouz Hilal and Egyptian Minister for Communications and Information Technology, Dr. Tarek Kamel, she received gifts; if so, the gifts she received; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [25757/08]
View answer346 Deputy Leo Varadkar asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment if, during or following her meeting on 5 July 2006, with the Minister for Finance of Jamaica, Omar Davies, she received gifts; if so, the gifts she received; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [25758/08]
View answer347 Deputy Leo Varadkar asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment if, during or following her meeting on 26 June 2006, with the Vice Minister of MOFCOM of the People’s Republic of China, Ma Xiuhong, she received gifts; if so, the gifts she received; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [25759/08]
View answer348 Deputy Leo Varadkar asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment if, during or following her meeting on 13 December 2007, with the First Vice Minister of Commerce of China, Yu Guangzhou, she received gifts; if so, the gifts she received; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [25760/08]
View answer349 Deputy Leo Varadkar asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment if, during or following her meeting on 5 March 2008, with the Minister of Science and Technology of Rwanda, Romain Murenzi and Minister of State Development of Rwanda, Rosemary Museminali, she received gifts; if so, the gifts she received; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [25761/08]
View answer350 Deputy Leo Varadkar asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment if, during or following her meeting on 27 June 2007, with the Minister for Commerce and Industry of Saudi Arabia, Hashim bin Abdullah bin Hashim Al-Yamani, she received gifts; if so, the gifts she received; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [25762/08]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 342 to 350, inclusive, together.
The meetings referred to by the Deputy, were attended by my predecessor as Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment, Mr. Michael Martin TD. In relation to the meeting with Minister Rachid of Egypt, that meeting took place on 6th November 2007, not 6th January 2007, as stated by the Deputy.
It is customary at meetings with Ministers from other countries, such as those listed by the Deputy, to exchange modest gifts. The value of such gifts received by Minister Martin in these cases was significantly less than the threshold prescribed in the Ethics in Public Office Act 1995, whereby gifts with a value in excess of that amount are deemed to be a gift given to the State. In fact, many of these gifts have little intrinsic monetary value, examples of gifts that were received are, paperweights, letter openers, books etc. It is not practicable at this stage to identify which, of a range of various items, was presented at each specific meeting, over a period of more than two years.
