Bertie Ahern (Dublin Central, Fianna Fail)

I propose to take Questions Nos. 4 to 38, inclusive, together.

The President of the European Commission, Jose Manuel Barroso, visited Dublin on Thursday, 30 June. I had a friendly and comprehensive meeting with the President which covered the broad range of issues on the European agenda including the European Constitution, enlargement and the ongoing negotiations on the financial perspectives. I informed him of our intention to use the period of reflection decided at the June European Council to promote an active and engaged debate on the Constitution and Europe in general. I also used the meeting to reiterate the fundamental importance of respecting the European Council agreement of October 2002 on the Common Agricultural Policy.

While there are no plans to have another bilateral meeting with President Barroso in the immediate future, I will meet him at the informal meeting of Heads of State or Government in October and the December European Council.

On 20 June, I met President Marovic of Serbia and Montenegro during his official visit to Ireland. We discussed the developing relations between Serbia and Montenegro and the European Union and agreed on the potential which exists for building up our bilateral relations, both political and economic. The President's chief concern was to obtain reassurance on the EU's continuing commitment to the Western Balkans in light of the outcome of the June European Council and the recent French and Dutch referendums on the EU Constitution. He also sought Ireland's support within the EU for early progress in the negotiation of a stabilisation and association agreement with Serbia and Montenegro.

I assured the President that, as set out in the European Council conclusions, Ireland and the other member states are committed to the implementation of the Thessaloniki Agenda of June 2003, which recognises that the future of the region lies in the European Union. The EU will not change its long-term commitment to working with the countries of the Western Balkans towards their eventual integration into European structures.

I strongly welcomed the significant improvement in Serbia's relations with the tribunal in the Hague. I pointed out that the eventual arrest of Ratko Mladic and Radovan Karadzic would enable much more rapid progress in relations with the EU and the wider international community. President Marovic assured me of the state union's commitment to ensuring that full co-operation is achieved with the tribunal as soon as possible. The EU hopes to open negotiations for an agreement with Serbia and Montenegro in the coming months. I assured President Marovic of Ireland's support throughout the process ahead. The President and I also discussed regional issues, including the situation in Kosovo. I briefed him on the declaration on Kosovo agreed at the European Council. I expressed the hope that real progress will be made in the near future on the development of constructive dialogue at all levels between Belgrade and Pristina and between the different communities in Kosovo.

I welcomed the Prime Minister of Canada, Paul Martin, to Government Buildings on 5 July. Our discussions were useful and cordial. We discussed the excellent Ireland-Canada trade relations, the Canada-Ireland working holiday programme, EU-Canada relations, UN reform and the G8 Summit. I expressed Ireland's gratitude for Canada's continued support to the International Fund for Ireland. Prime Minister Martin, who had earlier been in Ireland to commemorate the 20th anniversary of the Air India disaster, thanked the Irish people for their response to the tragedy and for the similar response to the Canadian submarine fire tragedy.

I was honoured to be received by Pope Benedict XVI in Rome on 7 July. The meeting marked a further milestone in the long and fruitful national relationship with the Papacy. Our meeting was largely an opportunity to reflect with his Holiness on current developments in Ireland and Europe. We discussed the sustained building of a sense of community among the peoples of the European Union. We also spoke of the external relationships of Europe and the responsibilities of developed States to respond to the real poverty that continues in many states. I described in outline the structured dialogue soon to commence in Ireland between the State and churches, faith communities and non-confessional bodies. Preparatory arrangements for this dialogue are well advanced and I intend to make further announcements in this regard shortly.

As this meeting came so soon after the Pope's appointment, I offered my congratulations and best wishes for his success in meeting the many challenges that will arise in his leadership of the Catholic Church.

The National Forum on Europe is an independent body. It is, therefore, a matter for them to decide how best to continue facilitating debate on matters of importance on the European agenda. In the coming months the Forum will play a leading role in taking forward the national debate on Europe that was launched at the June European Council. The Government has stressed that the debate should be open and inclusive. To aid the debate, my Department has recently published the third edition of "Ireland and the European Union: Identifying Priorities and Pursuing Goals". The basic objective of the publication is to inform people, in a clear and concise fashion about the Government's priorities and goals across a wide range of EU policy issues. I will arrange for a copy to be sent to each Deputy.

There will be no regular meeting of the European Council in October. Instead, the British Presidency has convened an informal meeting of Heads of State or Government on 27 and 28 October in the UK. The meeting will discuss how to strengthen social justice and competitiveness within the European Union. It will also explore how to make common foreign and security policy, European security and defence policy, and justice and home affairs policies more responsive to citizens' concerns. As the meeting is an informal one, it is not intended that it will adopt formal conclusions. At the meeting, I will stress the continued importance of the European Union to our common development and emphasise the need for the EU collectively to deal with the challenges and opportunities of globalisation, particularly the competitive challenge from China and India.

With regard to foreign visits, over the course of this Dáil session I will visit Budapest for a bilateral meeting with the Hungarian Prime Minister on 25 November. I will also travel to the European Council in Brussels on 15 and 16 December.

I met the French Minister for European Affairs, Catherine Colonna on 12 September. The meeting was a friendly one in which we discussed future enlargement of the EU, the financial perspectives and bilateral political and economic relations. We both agreed that the financial perspectives for the Union should be agreed at the earliest possible opportunity.

With regard to one of Deputy Kenny's questions, since the last questions on this issue I have had no other formal bilateral contacts with other EU Heads of State or Government regarding the European constitution or Europe in general.

I travelled to New York on 13 September. The centrepiece of this visit was the UN summit. I attended the 60th High Level Plenary meeting of the United Nations on 14 September. The meeting was attended by over 170 heads of state or government. The UN summit was convened to consider far reaching proposals for the reform of the United Nations promoted by the UN Secretary General. The Minister for Foreign Affairs, Deputy Dermot Ahern, in his capacity as a UN envoy appointed by the UN Secretary General, actively assisted in the preparations for, and the success of, the summit.

The summit adopted an outcome document which, while falling short of the high expectations of the UN Secretary General, represents a substantial step forward in UN reform. The document includes a substantive agenda for change in the UN and will now be taken forward in discussions at the UN General Assembly. Among the many positive elements in the summit's outcome document were agreement to establish a UN peace building commission and a new UN human rights council; a formal statement of the international community's responsibility to protect populations against genocide, war crimes, ethnic cleansing and crimes against humanity, including through military means where necessary, through the Security Council; and a re-affirmation of the UN's millennium development goals.

I share the regret of the UN Secretary General that the summit was unable to agree a strong statement on disarmament and non-proliferation. We will continue to work hard to strengthen the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty at a time when the international non-proliferation regime is under serious strain.

In my address to the summit, I indicated that Ireland would reach the UN target of 0.7% of GNP for official development assistance by 2012, three years earlier than the agreed EU target date of 2015. I also indicated that we would reach an interim target of 0.5% of GNP by the end of 2007. This interim target means we will increase ODA by €228 million in 2005 and 2006 to reach a total of €773 million by the end of 2007. I emphasised that we will remain one of the few donors to have a completely untied aid programme. Since it came into office, the Government has tripled ODA to a total of €545 million in 2005. The new ODA commitment means we will triple ODA again over the years 2005-12. On current growth projections, expenditure on ODA over these years could amount to €8 billion.

These new resources will enable Development Co-operation Ireland to undertake new activities. At the UN, I announced we will double spending on the fight against HIV-AIDS to €100 million per year by the end of next year, strengthen our national capacity to respond to major humanitarian emergencies with a particular focus on dealing with famine and food shortages, contribute to the new UN democracy fund that will support the spread of democratic values around the world and work closely with the Irish private sector in promoting investment, trade and technology transfer with partner companies in Africa.

In addition to addressing the summit, I also addressed a round table of heads of state or government chaired by the Prime Minister of Australia, Mr. John Howard. I also attended a breakfast for heads of state or government hosted by the UN Secretary General, Kofi Annan. I had bilateral meetings with Mr. Peter Piot, the director of UNAIDS, the UN agency responsible for co-ordinating the international fight against HIV-AIDS, and with Mr. Paul Wolfowitz, the new President of the World Bank. Issues discussed at these meetings included UN reform, the G8 initiative on debt cancellation, HIV-AIDS and ODA.

While in New York, I attended the launch of the Clinton Global Initiative and had a bilateral meeting with former US President, Mr. Bill Clinton. This new initiative is focused on four issues — poverty, religion, conflict and reconciliation, climate change and governance. Ireland is working closely with the Clinton Foundation in supplying life saving drugs to poor people infected with HIV-AIDS in Mozambique. In my meeting with former President Clinton, we discussed the peace process in Northern Ireland and the co-operation between Ireland and the Clinton Foundation.

In my discussions with President Bush, I again expressed my sympathy for the people devastated by hurricane Katrina. I had already written to President Bush in this regard in August.

While in New York, I attended business events hosted by Enterprise Ireland to highlight the successes of Irish companies in the US and the strong trading relationship between Ireland and the US. I was particularly pleased to meet with seven Enterprise Ireland clients who were announcing new deals and partnerships. I also addressed a luncheon which was attended by over 120 business executives from the New York region, including Irish companies operating in the area.

On 15 September, I was delighted to attend a ceremony, along with the Mayor of New York, Michael Bloomberg, to re-dedicate a plaque at the birthplace of Eamon de Valera, located on Lexington Avenue and 51st Street. I was invited by the New York Stock Exchange, in conjunction with the American Ireland Fund, to ring the closing bell of the Stock Exchange and to attend a function of those who work in the exchange with the American Ireland Fund. I had an opportunity to meet many listed Irish companies on the floor. I addressed a reception hosted by the American Ireland Fund following the closing. In the evening, I had the pleasure of attending a dinner hosted by All Hallows College.

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