Joe Sherlock (Cork East, Labour)
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Question 29: To ask the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment if he will provide details of the participation and remit of Government representatives of the EU Group of European Directors-General on Labour Relations; if his Department will take steps to ensure that the minutes of meetings of the EU Group of European Directors-General on Labour Relations are made available to Members of both Houses; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11285/06]

Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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A European Commission decision of 27 March 2002 dealt with the creation of a Group of Directors-General for Industrial Relations. This decision, reference no. 2002/260/EC, was published in the Official Journal of the European Communities on 6 April 2002. Under this decision, the group comprises the directors-general for industrial relations of the member states and is chaired by a Commission representative.

The purpose of the group is "to provide a body for consultation, reflection, exchanges and co-operation between Member States and the Commission" and its mission is to: establish close co-operation between the institutions of the member states and the Commission on issues relating to the preparation of new Community initiatives in the area of industrial relations, the application and revision of the acquis communautaire in the area of labour law and the drawing up of research programmes, analyses, studies, publications and measures to raise awareness concerning Community labour law; monitor the development of policies in the area of labour law and industrial relations; facilitate the exchange of experiences and good practices in the area of individual and collective labour law. The group meets, in accordance with the Commission decision, in principle twice yearly. The minutes of its meetings are not published by the Commission.