I propose to take Questions Nos. 68 and 76 together.
Preparations for Ireland's Presidency of the Council of the European Union during the first half of 2013 are continuing and are on track.
Ireland's Presidency programme will be published in December 2012, and work on identifying key issues and priorities will continue until then to ensure that the programme reflects current developments and challenges. As with all Presidencies, Ireland's programme will be framed within the context of the overall EU agenda and will, to a considerable extent, be determined by the progress made by the preceding Danish and Cypriot Presidencies. However, there are a number of clear overarching priorities that will form the backdrop to our Presidency programme. The principal focus across a very wide range of policy areas and Council formations will be on stimulating sustainable economic growth and job creation across Europe. The Irish Presidency will also work to finalise agreement on those aspects of the Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF) process that remain outstanding at the start of 2013. The MFF will set out the EU budget for the period 2014-2020 and has linkages to many policy issues of direct national importance to Ireland including the Common Agricultural Policy, the Common Fisheries Policy and Horizon 2020 (the EU's future framework programme for research and innovation). The Presidency will make every effort to contribute to the restoration of macroeconomic stability across the EU through the implementation of the Union's new economic governance rules and procedures. In this context, Ireland will have the responsibility for managing in Council the European Semester, the process through which Member States coordinate their economic and budgetary policies. Work will continue at all levels of Government over the coming months to refine and develop the programme, in close cooperation with partner states, the European institutions and civil society.
There has been substantial engagement at both official and political level with Lithuania and Greece, Ireland's Trio partners, over the past year. This coordination will intensify throughout the remainder of 2012. I have met with my Lithuanian colleague on two occasions over the past six months, and the Minister of State for European Affairs has also met with her counterpart a number of times. We look forward to further meetings with our Greek partners after the general election in Greece in May. Irish, Lithuanian and Greek officials in Brussels and in capitals are also working closely with the Council Secretariat to develop the Trio Presidency programme which will be published in late 2012.
At this stage of planning approximately 170 meetings will be held in Ireland during the Presidency. This figure includes up to 11 informal Ministerial meetings that will take place across a range of policy areas. Work is ongoing to identify and plan related events and initiatives and a clearer picture on the numbers and types of events being planned will emerge shortly. Several large conferences are being planned in Ireland during the Presidency to reflect the main jobs and growth agenda of the Presidency including in areas such as the use of information technology in areas such as health, research and innovation, and telecoms.
The Government is aiming to run a cost-effective Presidency and every effort is being made to control costs. During the last Irish EU Presidency in 2004 the expenditure involved in setting up multiple venues for Presidency events was considerable. As a cost-reducing measure and reflecting the approach now adopted by other Member States, the Government has decided to limit the number of meetings held in Ireland, including at Ministerial level, and to concentrate meetings, to the extent possible, in a small number of State-owned venues.
The programme for Government makes a clear commitment to restoring Ireland's standing as a respected an influential member of the EU and the wider international community. Ireland's Council of the Presidency of the EU during the first six months in 2013 will be a critical element of this process. The Government looks forward to using the Presidency to define and promote policy and legislation that can benefit the lives of millions of citizens in Ireland and across the EU.
