Paul Gogarty (Dublin Mid West, Green Party)
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Question 424: To ask the Minister for Education and Science if she will report on the discussions held with her colleagues at the Education, Youth and Culture Council of 21 February 2005. [7972/05]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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Ireland was represented at the Education and Youth Council of 21 February 2005 by my colleague, the Minister of State, Deputy de Valera. EU Education Ministers adopted conclusions on the role of education in the knowledge-based society. This forms part of the contribution to the work of the European Council of 22-23 March next on the mid-term review of the Lisbon strategy. The debate focused on the progress achieved in the education and training 2010 work programme. There was broad consensus on the need to integrate education and training into the Lisbon strategy. Most contributions echoed the need to focus on jobs and competencies and stressed that education and training are indispensable preliminaries for the knowledge society.

Ministers also had an exchange of views on the effectiveness and equity of European education systems. Education Ministers also informally discussed the follow-up to the conference of EU Education Ministers regarding the education aspects of the reconstruction of countries affected by the tsunami disaster which took place in Paris on 22 January last. The Luxembourg Presidency informed the Council that the General Affairs Council of 31 January decided, following the Paris conference, to integrate education into emergency measures at a European level.

Youth Ministers adopted conclusions on the role of young people in the Lisbon strategy. They welcomed the initiative of the Heads of State and Government of Germany, France, Spain and Sweden to propose the adoption of a European Youth Pact recognising the very important position of young citizens in the achievement of the Lisbon objectives, an initiative supported by the European Commission. The youth Ministers' conclusions will be sent to the European Council as part of the mid-term review of the Lisbon strategy, ahead of the adoption of the youth pact by the spring summit.