Charles Flanagan (Laois-Offaly, Fine Gael)
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Question 19: To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs the official engagements he attended in Northern Ireland; the party political leaders he met in Northern Ireland from 1 April 2008 to date in 2008; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16635/08]

Dermot Ahern (Louth, Fianna Fail)
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I travelled to Northern Ireland on 10 April for a series of official engagements in my capacity as Minister for Foreign Affairs. I delivered a keynote address to the European Mediation Conference at the Waterfront Hall in Belfast, on the topic of "The Role of Government in Lesson Sharing and Conflict Resolution". The event, organised by Mediation Northern Ireland in conjunction with the Scottish Mediation Network, was the second annual conference of the European Mediation Network Initiative, and was timed to coincide with the tenth anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement.

I later met with the leader of the Progressive Unionist Party, Ms. Dawn Purvis MLA, with whom I discussed a range of issues including the current political situation, cross border cooperation and efforts to combat sectarianism.

Finally, I met with a group of young people who are involved in the 'Building Bridges' project. This cross-community project brings together young people from loyalist youth groups and nationalist youth centres from East and West Belfast, and aims to enable them to actively participate in the reconciliation and peace-building taking place within their own communities. This project is funded in part by a grant of €75,000 from my Department's Anti-Sectarianism Fund.