Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Tuesday, 11 Dec 2001

Vol. 546 No. 3

Written Answers. - EU Council Meetings.

Jim O'Keeffe

Ceist:

97 Mr. J. O'Keeffe asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs the meetings, formal and informal, of European Union Councils relevant to his portfolio held since June 1997; the number of such meetings personally attended by him; and where not so attended, the person who led the Irish delegation at such council meetings. [31935/01]

Minister for Foreign Affairs (Mr. Cowen)

My predecessors and I attended all 17 of the formal European Council meetings since June 1997. Since I became Minister for Foreign Affairs in January of last year, I have attended 19 meetings of the General Affairs Council. In addition to Intergovernmental Conference ministerial sessions within the GAC format, I also attended nine further meetings of EU Foreign Ministers to negotiate aspects of what became the Nice Treaty.

There have been four occasions when I have been unable to attend, when urgent business has obliged me to be elsewhere. I was represented on these four occasions as follows: The Minister of State at the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment, Deputy Tom Kitt, on 18 September 2000; the Minister of State at the Department of Tourism, Sport and Recreation, Deputy Eoin Ryan, on 22 January; the Minister of State at the Department of Health and Children, Deputy Hanafin, on 25 June; and the Minister of State at the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment, Deputy Tom Kitt on 29 October.

My predecessors and I have also attended all nine of the informal meetings for Foreign Ministers, or Gymnichs, that have taken place since June 1997.

With regard to the twice yearly meetings of the Development Council, the Minister of State, Deputy O'Donnell, has responsibility for this formation. She has attended each meeting since July 1997, with the exception of the meetings on 10 November 2000 and 8 November 2001. On 10 November 2000 the Government was represented by the then permanent representative to the EU and by the then head of the development co-operation division in the Department. On 8 November the Government was represented by the permanent representative to the EU and by the head of the development co-operation division in the Department.

My predecessors attended each of the GAC meetings which took place during their periods in office, with the following exceptions:

Date	Government Representative
15 September 1997	Ambassador Denis O'Leary, Permanent Representative of Ireland to the EU
24 November 1997	Minister of State, Deputy Liz O'Donnell
12 December 1997	Minister of State, Deputy Tom Kitt
26 January 1998	Ambassador Denis O'Leary
30 March 1998	Ministers of State, Deputy Frank Fahey and Deputy Tom Kitt
18 May 1998	Minister of State, Deputy Tom Kitt
8 June 1998	Minister of State, Deputy Eamon Ó Cúiv
5 October 1998	Minister of State, Deputy Martin Cullen
21 June 1999	Minister of State, Deputy Frank Fahey
29 July 1999	Mr. Gerry Corr, senior official