Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 10 July 2012
91 Deputy Micheál Martin asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if his attention has been drawn to a study carried out by the Department of Political Science and Centre for European Research in the University of Gothenberg, Sweden, in relation to attendance by member states at EU ministerial meetings; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30551/12]
View answerThe Swedish research paper referred to by the Deputy is a useful historical document covering Ministerial attendance across all Member States at EU Council meetings between 2000 and 2010. This shows that Ireland was ranked 5th during the 2000 to 2010 period. However, this has been significantly improved upon by the current Government. In 2011 Ireland rose to 2nd overall in terms of Ministerial attendance at Councils, including outperforming France and Germany. This is contained in the ‘Accountability Report 2011' published last April by European Movement Ireland. This showed that Ireland had an overall Ministerial attendance rate of 86%, with Ministers attending 61 out of 71 Councils that took place from 9th March to end December 2011. This was an almost 10% increase on the attendance level by Ministers of the previous Government when Ministers only attended 63 out of a total of 82 Council meetings held in 2010, and of the 9 Council meetings held between January and 9 March 2011, Ireland was represented at Ministerial level on only one occasion, at Ecofin in February 2011 by the late Brian Lenihan TD, Minister for Finance. I am happy to record that there has been a 100% attendance record by Ministers at the 39 Council meetings held during the recent Danish EU Presidency.
