Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael)

I propose to take Questions Nos. 9 to 13, inclusive, together.

At the European Council meeting on 9 December I did not have a formal bilateral meeting with British Prime Minister David Cameron although I did of course see him. Subsequently I phoned him to say how disappointed I was that it had not proved possible to get the agreement of the 27 member states.

Last Thursday I travelled to London to meet the Prime Minister in Downing Street. My visit to London also included making an address at Reuters and attending a number of business and Irish community related events. I had a very good meeting with the Prime Minister in which we discussed recent developments at European level. We agreed on the need to do everything necessary to move beyond the current crisis and to restore stability and confidence in the eurozone. Looking ahead to the next European Council meeting on 30 January, we both agreed on the importance of putting growth and jobs at the top of the EU agenda and on the need for a fully functioning Single Market. We look forward to keeping closely in touch on this matter.

We also discussed the excellent bilateral relationship that exists between Ireland and Britain and the strong ties and interdependence between our respective economies. Recalling the success of the visit to Ireland of Queen Elizabeth and how it highlighted the depth and normality of the relationship between our two countries, we agreed to explore opportunities for further deepening those relations, especially on the trade side, and to maintain close contact on all issues of mutual interest.

As the co-guarantors of the Good Friday Agreement we took stock of recent developments in Northern Ireland and noted the decade of significant historical events which are about to begin. With regard to the ongoing implementation of the Good Friday Agreement the most recent meeting I had was the plenary meeting of the North-South Ministerial Council on 18 November in Armagh. At that meeting, which was co-chaired by the First and Deputy First Ministers, we discussed a wide range of shared issues, including the progress to date on the St. Andrew's review. It was agreed that proposals to advance the review would be taken at the next plenary meeting in June 2012, which I will chair. We also discussed ways to make progress on the North-South consultative forum, as well as welcoming the progress made by the Oireachtas and the Northern Ireland Assembly towards a North-South parliamentary forum. The programme of work of the North-South Ministerial Council continues and Ministers approved a comprehensive schedule of meetings including an institutional meeting in Spring 2012, as well as the next plenary meeting on 15 June 2012.

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