Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Tánaiste for his detailed presentation. He noted that this is the seventh Irish Presidency. The previous six were successful and we wish the Tánaiste and his colleagues every success during this Presidency.

He remarked at the outset on the need to finalise the multi-annual financial framework. We hope this can be resolved as quickly as possible. It is the budgetary framework for the European Union for the coming years. Naturally, the Common Agricultural Policy is of critical importance to this country, but the review of it cannot be finalised until the MFF is finalised. Will the Tánaiste indicate his thinking on the likely date for finalising the MFF and the Common Agricultural Policy review?

Does the Tánaiste expect to finalise a trade deal with Canada during the Presidency? Will he indicate how far advanced these negotiations are at present? Are there any particular sticking points in those negotiations?

There has been much speculation on when the European Union and the United States will be ready to commence discussions on a US-EU trade deal. Will the Tánaiste give some indication of the likely timescale? There was a suggestion in the media that Mr. Cameron planned to use the UK chairmanship of the G8 group to advance the agenda of a US-EU trade agreement. Has the Tánaiste been talking to his British counterpart about these proposals and how they might work? Will the Tánaiste indicate how the talks on a US-EU trade deal can be progressed when the European Union is considering a data protection regulation that could make it more difficult and costly for businesses to transfer data between the European Union and the United States? Has this subject been a matter of discussion and dialogue with the Tánaiste's colleague, the Minister for Justice and Equality?

On a local note, I raise an issue relevant to the constituency I represent. Will the Tánaiste outline how he plans to work with the British Government to make the G8 summit in Enniskillen, a town close to my home, a real cross-Border event? It comes at a time when we hold the Presidency of the European Union and our neighbour, Britain, holds the chair of the G8.

The briefing note correctly stated that the General Affairs and External Relations Council is largely driven by current events. The Tánaiste correctly referred in detail to the many trouble spots and said he was keen to give these troubled areas a higher profile. We wish him success with this and I welcome the fact that a special meeting of the council was held last week on Mali and the difficulties that have emerged there.

We are all aware - the Tánaiste has referred to it himself - that Ireland's record on peace support and peacekeeping is second to none. Our status in this regard has been recognised in the EU through the leadership roles Ireland has played in the EUFOR missions to Chad and the Central African Republic and in support of those who were fleeing the war and famine in Darfur. Will the Tánaiste outline or expand on how we can build on this record and how we can play a leadership role in developing the EU's support of the UN?

I welcome the fact that there will be a major conference on development in Dublin. Will the Tánaiste elaborate on his priorities for the April meeting and how it fits in with the millennium development goals?

There is seldom mention nowadays of the World Trade Organization talks or the possibility of a plenary session. This is critical not only for trade but for the developing world, although it sometimes tends to be left out of the equation when we discuss the absolute need for development and assistance for impoverished countries and the developing world.

I imagine all members of the committee received correspondence today on EU enlargement, which the Tánaiste has outlined as a key priority for the Irish Presidency. There is some disappointment on the part of people who take a particular interest in Bosnia that it does not feature more specifically in our Presidency work programme. We have had a long record of association with that country and with peace support operations there. In addition, refugees came here in the 1980s and 1990s from Bosnia. Will the Tánaiste indicate why that particular accession issue is being left to the former EU High Representative there, Paddy Ashdown? I understand he addressed this committee and he spoke about the dangers to stability in the region if the Bosnian issue is not given more attention and if there are not greater efforts to give some momentum to its possible accession to the European Union.