Pat Breen (Clare, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

We have a quorum. Before proceeding to the business of the meeting, I remind members and those in the public Gallery to switch off their mobile phones completely for the duration of the meeting as they cause interference with the recording equipment in the committee rooms even in silent mode.

The purpose of today's meeting is to consider the motion referred to the select committee by Dáil Éireann in respect of the association agreements before the EU and Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine. Under the terms of the Dáil motion of 14 January 2015, the committee must consider the matter and having done so, report back to the Dáil not later than 27 January 2015.

I welcome the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade and his officials. I congratulate the Minister on the recent work he has done in Northern Ireland. We would like to have seen more of him but we know he is entrenched in Northern Ireland with those meetings and spends a lot of time up there. It was important that there was a successful conclusion. I congratulate the Minister and his officials for getting that agreement. Hopefully, we will get to see more of him in the new year. There will be an opening presentation from the Minister and I will then take questions from members. I call on the Minister to give his presentation.