Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Tuesday, 9 Mar 1999

Vol. 501 No. 6

Written Answers. - EU Meetings.

Ruairí Quinn

Ceist:

227 Mr. Quinn asked the Minister for Health and Children the name of the European Council of Ministers, if any, relevant to his Department; the number of council meetings he has attended since taking office; the number of meetings attended by an official or permanent representative in his absence; the number of meetings he has had with his equivalent European Ministers outside the Council of Ministers format since taking office; if officials from his Department meet regularly with Commission or other national officials; if so, the regularity with which they meet; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6728/99]

Minister for Health and Children (Mr. Cowen)

The name of the European Council of Ministers relevant to my Department is "The Council of the European Union (Health)". There have been three meetings of this Council since I took office and I have attended two of them, in Brussels in December 1997 under the Luxembourg Presidency and again in Brussels in November 1998 under the Austrian Presidency. The Secretary general of my Department attended in my unavoidable absence at the Council in Luxembourg in April 1998 under the United Kingdom Presidency.

I have not attended any meetings with equivalent European Ministers outside the Council of Ministers format. I did, however, meet my counterpart from the Austrian Ministry, Minister Hostach, when she visited Dublin prior to Austria assuming the Presidency in July 1998.

An official from my Department is assigned to the permanent representation in Brussels as health attache. He, along with other officials from my Department, as appropriate, attends the working party on health meetings which are held in Brussels approximately every two weeks. The working party on health prepares the groundwork for the Ministers Council which is held towards the end of each Presidency. The Commission attends these meetings. The health attache also attends meetings of COREPER, the Committee of Permanent Representatives at which the Minister is represented by the deputy permanent representative, as appropriate in relation to health items. The Commission attends these meetings also.

The Secretary General attends meetings of the High Level Committee on Health which takes place at least twice each year. The committee, as part of its programme, has advised the Commission on the development of the next EU public health framework which will provide the policy framework for health initiatives and co-operation within the EU for up to ten years from 2000 onwards.

Officials of my Department meet with the Commission on policy developments as they arise from time to time. In addition, various officials attend regulatory-advisory meetings in relation to health programmes and health related issues which are organised under the auspices of the Commission.