Róisín Shortall (Dublin North West, Labour)
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Question 95: To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs the contacts he has had with the Venezuelan Government in recent times. [10518/07]

Dermot Ahern (Louth, Fianna Fail)
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Ireland is accredited to Venezuela through our Ambassador to Mexico on a non-residential basis. Ambassador Dermot Brangan presented his credentials to the then Venezuelan Vice President, Mr Jose Vicente Rangel, in Caracas on 8 May 2006. On 19th September 2006, the Ambassador of Venezuela in London, who is also accredited to Ireland, called on the Secretary General of the Department of Foreign Affairs.

Ireland's relations with Venezuela are conducted primarily in the multilateral context, in particular through the framework of the EU-Latin America and Caribbean relationship, as well as the EU-Rio Group strategic dialogues. The most recent Government-level contact in the multilateral context took place at the Fourth EU-Latin America and Caribbean Summit in Vienna on 12th May 2006, at which sixty EU and Latin American and Caribbean Heads of State or Government were present. The Taoiseach and Minister of State Noel Treacy represented Ireland at the Summit.

Regular meetings at senior official level are held between the EU and representatives of all the Latin American and Caribbean States, most recently in Lima on 1-2 March 2007.