Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I propose to take Questions Nos. 1 to 4, inclusive, together.

As I will be outlining in my statement to the House later this afternoon, the next meeting of the European Council will take place tomorrow when EU leaders will discuss migration, security, economic and social development, including youth, and external relations.

The discussions on migration will include an update on the EU-Turkey deal, signed in March, along with a consideration of the migration compacts with five African countries, the progress achieved on the European Fund for Sustainable Development, and the European Investment Bank, EIB, external lending mandate. There is also likely to be an exchange on the future common European asylum system.

On security, there will be review of a number of measures, including the passenger name record, PNR, directive, database checks, and the European travel information and authorisation system, ETIAS. We will also consider the implementation of the EU global strategy, the European defence action plan, and EU-NATO co-operation.

Under economic and social development and youth, we will discuss the legislative proposals to extend the European Fund for Strategic Investment which were agreed recently by finance Ministers.

On particular Irish interests, we have highlighted the importance of pressing ahead on key Single Market initiatives, particularly in the area of services and the digital Single Market. I am sending a letter to President Tusk on this matter and have co-ordinated the support of a number of other member states to ensure a sufficient level of ambition is maintained by the Commission in setting out its plans across these initiatives.

Under external relations, political developments in Syria and the appalling humanitarian situation there will be discussed, and there will also be an exchange on how best to address the outcome of the Dutch referendum on the EU-Ukraine agreement.

The meeting of the European Council is expected to conclude in the early evening. Leaders of the 27 member states, that is, not including the UK, will then meet where there will be a discussion on the mechanics of the EU negotiations with the UK which will commence once Article 50 has been triggered. Under the close political guidance of the European Council, that is, Heads of State and Government, the Commission will lead the technical negotiations, with the European Parliament also playing an important role.

At the dinner tomorrow, there is also likely to be an exchange of views about the Bratislava process on the future of Europe and the meetings planned for Valletta and Rome in early 2017. I will, of course, provide further details on both meetings in my regular statement to the House this afternoon.

At this time, I have no specific plans for bilateral meetings at the European Council, although I will meet and engage with other EU leaders there. I wrote to the former Italian Prime Minister, Matteo Renzi, this week to wish him well as he leaves office following the Italian referendum on 4 December. I will send a note to his successor, Paolo Gentiloni, as soon as he takes on his new role.

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