Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael)

I said at the time of the appointment of the new Secretary General that the Department would be reformed into a coherent, cohesive, responsive and efficient Department, which it is. The Deputy will appreciate, having served as a Minister in an important Ministry when Ireland last held the Presidency, that it is necessary to recruit temporary staff to deal with Presidency matters during the first half of next year. A great deal of work in that regard is under way.

When in Brussels last week I attended the first tripartite social interaction meeting between the Danish Presidency, the Cypriot Presidency and the Irish Presidency. The meeting was also attended by representatives of the trade unions of Europe and employer and business interests. Staff numbers when Ireland holds the Presidency next year will increase to more than 200 for a period. That aside, the Department is slim and in good shape. Its staff are working hard.

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