Written answers

Wednesday, 23 March 2005

Department of Health and Children

EU Presidency

9:00 pm

Photo of Liam TwomeyLiam Twomey (Wexford, Fine Gael)
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Question 127: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Health and Children the work carried out by her Department before and during the EU presidency; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [9520/05]

Photo of Mary HarneyMary Harney (Dublin Mid West, Progressive Democrats)
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I will set out the work carried out by my predecessor and my Department in regard to the EU Presidency over the period from early 2001 to the end of the Presidency itself. The Government and my Department, in parallel with the other Departments, placed a high priority on achieving a successful EU Presidency for Ireland.

In late 2001, to prepare for the Irish Presidency, interdepartmental co-ordinating committees were established by the Department of Foreign Affairs, and my Department was represented in these fora by the Department's international unit. The information emerging from the various interdepartmental fora was analysed and circulated by the international unit to a range of units within the Department. Also, at this stage consideration was given to the likely staffing and other resource requirements necessary to manage a Presidency programme.

In early 2002, a round table discussion involving the Department's senior managers agreed to the establishment of a Presidency working group, PWG, chaired by the Secretary General and attended by the Minister, senior managers across the Department, both directly and indirectly involved, and the EU section of the international unit. The PWG met monthly at first and then more regularly as required as the Presidency approached. My Department was also involved over this period in ongoing contacts and meetings with the relevant EU Commission directorates-general, Italian and Dutch counterparts, as well as in bilateral meetings at ministerial and official levels whenever requested.

In late 2003, staff and other resources were redeployed or assigned to the Presidency programme then agreed for the health sector. The Department, in co-operation with the CMOD, Department of Finance, addressed the training needs of staff who were identified as being involved in EU business over the course of the Presidency. The Department, as a whole, delivered on releasing additional staff resources when required to Presidency business and events, with this commitment covering the preparatory phase as well as execution phase for events.

Close links were maintained between the international unit and line divisions and the permanent representation, PRB, to the EU in Brussels on an ongoing basis, regarding the scheduling, chairing and participation in working groups and other meetings in Brussels, Luxembourg, Geneva and so forth, as appropriate, in the lead into, and during, the Presidency. This work included close contacts with the Council secretariat and Commission. The relevant line divisions in my Department were responsible for the preparation and management of events specific to their areas, with the international unit and the PRB having a general co-ordination function in addition to managing particular events.

During the Presidency itself, the Minister briefed the European Parliament Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Consumer Policy on 21 January 2004 on the health programme of the Irish Presidency. The major theme of the promotion of cardiovascular health attracted a considerable focus of attention as a Presidency priority. An evidence based expert conference, based on extensive preparatory work by experts, took place in Cork on 24 to 26 February. A second cardiology conference took place on 10 and 11 May on the Agreement of Cardiology Data Standards.

Patient mobility was identified as a priority matter on which to advance deliberations between Health Ministers during the period of the Irish Presidency. The Irish Presidency also contributed on the public health aspects of the Commission's environment and health action plan. An expert workshop led by the Joint Research Centre of the European Commission took place on 22 and 23 April and informed Council conclusions on childhood asthma. An e-health conference, focusing on citizen friendly applications of information and technology in health, with related exhibition and awards and associated closely with the eEurope action plan of the Community, took place on 5 and 6 May.

The Irish Presidency convened a special meeting of EU Health Ministers in Brussels on 12 February to consider the threats to public health in the EU posed by outbreaks of avian flu in the Far East. An informal meeting of Health Ministers was held on 12 May. Ministers followed up on discussions held at the special Ministers meeting on 12 February about improving Community preparedness for dealing with communicable disease threats, including biological events, and held an important discussion on EU patient mobility issues. The Secretary of Health and Human Services in the USA attended and made a presentation to the EU Ministers on the US approach to prevention of cardiovascular diseases and obesity, particularly in young children.

The successful Health Council on 2 June 2004 had an extensive discussion on EU patient mobility and related issues and Council conclusions were adopted on promoting heart health, e-health, influenza pandemic preparedness planning, patient mobility, alcohol and young people and childhood asthma. The Ministers also received reports on progress on Council discussions on proposals on health claims and food fortification.

Ministers agreed at the Health Council on 2 June 2004 to the adaptation of the negotiating mandate of the European Commission regarding the international health regulations of the World Health Organisation. As the EU Presidency, Ireland achieved agreement on a Council decision to allow the Community and its member states ratify the WHO convention on tobacco control. Agreement was achieved under the Irish Presidency on the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control, an important EU public health proposal. The centre will be located in Stockholm, Sweden.

Other Presidency events included: a tobacco control conference in Limerick on 17 and 18 June to review tobacco control policies in the European Union; the 13th meeting of EU competent authorities for medical devices met under the Irish Presidency in Dublin on 12 and 13 January; the Irish Medicines Board hosted a number of meetings of EU experts and competent authorities; an international food safety conference, under the auspices of the FSAI, on the issue of the harmonisation of official food controls took place on 11 and 12 March; EU chief medical officers met in Dublin on 11 and 12 March where they discussed recent developments in the area of public health in the EU; a meeting of governmental chief nurses took place on 16 April, which facilitated an exchange of views among the participants regarding recent developments; the high level committee on health, which is a body comprised of high level officials from health ministries in member states, accession states and EFTA countries, and which advises the European Commission on public health matters, met in Dublin on 26 and 27 April; a conference on workplace health promotion, WHP, Networking Workplace Health in Europe, took place in June; on 17-18 June the final meeting and conference to launch the outcome of the EU Commission funded project to draw up a European blueprint for action on breastfeeding took place.

The National Children's Office hosted a successful meeting of the intergovernmental group, L'Europe de L'Enfance, on 22 April 2004 in Dublin Castle. Under the auspices of the Irish Presidency, the European social network organised the 12th European social services conference from 16 to 18 June 2004 with the theme of Delivering Quality and Access to Social Care and Health in an Enlarged Europe. The European health insurance card was introduced as and from 1 June 2004 during the Irish Presidency.

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