Ms Aingeal O?Donoghue:

We are among those member states which have a positive agenda on the enlargement of the European Union. On the discussions that take place in Brussels, including at the General Affairs Council, we are one of the positive voices around the table in support of enlargement, recognising the value that EU membership has brought to us and to other member states and wanting to ensure, providing that the necessary conditions are met, that the opportunity is there for other member states. In her time as Minister of State at the Departments of Foreign Affairs and Trade and the Taoiseach with responsibility for European affairs, Deputy McEntee has travelled to the region twice, including most recently in a joint visit with her Finnish colleague, which is an interesting example of both alliances and the enlargement agenda so it is very much part of our thinking.