Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 18 December 2012
335. Deputy Simon Harris asked the Minister for Social Protection the formations of the EU Councils of Ministers on which she sits; the number of meetings of that Council held from 9 March 2011 to date in 2012; the number of those meetings she attended; the number attended by a Minister of State; the number attended by an Irish official; and if she will provide the names of those who attended in tabular form. [56553/12]
View answerDuring the period in question there were a total of ten meetings, including four informal meetings of the Council for Employment, Social Policy, Health and Consumer Affairs (EPSCO) which is the relevant Council formation for the Department of Social Protection.
It is the practice for the Employment and Social Affairs items to be taken on one day of this two day meeting, and Health and Consumer Affairs to be taken separately on the other. In relation to the former, the subject matter covers topics which span the interests of a number of Irish government departments – Social Protection; Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation; Justice, Equality and Law Reform; and Education and Skills. Representation at the Council is decided on the basis of the items to be discussed, and it is often the case that Ministerial attendance from this Department is not considered necessary.
During the period in question, I attended, along with Department Officials, five meetings of the Employment, Social Policy, Health and Consumer Affairs Council. A further two meetings were attended by Department Officials.
I did not attend the remaining three meetings, and no officials from the Department travelled to these meetings. However, Ministers and officials from other Departments, and officials from the Permanent Representation (including the attaché from the Department of Social Protection), would have attended these meetings.
