Lucinda Creighton (Dublin South East, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Question 236: To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs the EU Directives awaiting incorporation into Irish law in his Department; the deadline for incorporation; the date he foresees for implementation of each directive; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27313/07]

Dermot Ahern (Louth, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context

My Department, which has an overall coordinating role in relation to EU matters, does not as a rule have responsibility for transposing EU measures into Irish law. Currently, there are no EU Directives awaiting incorporation into Irish law in my Department.

The Government remains firmly committed to the effective and timely transposition of EU Directives into Irish law. My colleague Mr Dick Roche, T.D., Minister of State for European Affairs, has reconstituted the Interdepartmental Coordinating Committee for European Affairs (ICCEUA), a high-level group which meets regularly and, inter alia, monitors the transposition of EU legislation.

The Department of the Taoiseach, in collaboration with other Departments, has created a special data base, which monitors and coordinates information relating to EU directives. This will serve as an important tool in enabling Ireland to meet deadlines for transposing EU measures.

Furthermore, the European Commission recently published a communication entitled A Europe of Results — Applying Community Law where it has proposed a pilot project on measures to improve the application of Community Law. Ireland is engaged in discussions with the Commission with a view to participating in the pilot project.