Peter Power (Limerick East, Fianna Fail)

While I must get the exact number of meetings over the past 12 months for the Deputy, the committee has been working highly effectively. The idea behind the committee is to ensure, as the Deputy correctly pointed out, that Ireland does not undermine its highly effective aid programme by adopting policies across Departments that would so do, specifically in the area of trade. The World Trade Organisation Doha development round of world trade negotiations constitutes a key example in this regard. I was part of the Irish delegation, with the Tánaiste, who was then was Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment, as well as the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, which went to Geneva as part of the Irish national team that negotiated Ireland's national position at that round. This is an example of how Ireland can put forward a unified national approach, even though some approaches and policies might be perceived to be opposed to other aspects of national policy. However, the objective is to inform one another of one's overall national objectives and to seek, through this departmental committee, to marry them together and to put forward a cohesive and coherent national approach. I will revert to the Deputy in respect of the actual number of meetings of the committee.

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