Andrew Doyle (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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Question 114: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment if there is a process for interdepartmental co-operation on the WTO negotiations between her Department and the Department of Agriculture and Food. [12837/09]

Mary Coughlan (Donegal South West, Fianna Fail)
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There are a number of formal and informal avenues by which my Department and the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food cooperate on Ireland's position in the WTO negotiations. In most cases, the Department of Foreign Affairs is also involved. As the Deputy may know, the EU acts as a single entity within the WTO, and its policy for the trade talks is agreed in the General Affairs Council and the Article 133 Committee. Whenever the WTO talks feature on the Council agenda, briefing is prepared in consultation with all three Departments. The Article 133 Committee has a meeting of its full members once a month, with the Deputy members meeting during each of the other three weeks of month. My Department together with the Departments of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food and of Foreign Affairs coordinates the Irish position and briefing for all 133 Committee meetings.

Of course, the Irish position on the WTO talks is set by the Government, and these decisions are on the basis of proposals that I bring to the attention of Government colleagues in conjunction with the Minister for Agriculture, as well as with the Minister for Foreign Affairs, so that we can give a full picture to our government colleagues. Alongside this work at home, officials from all three Departments are posted in Geneva and they work closely together every day monitoring the WTO talks, reporting back to Dublin and representing Ireland's interests at the many meetings that take place there. As well as these formal contacts, all three Departments are in regular informal contact exchanging information and coordinating briefings.

Finally, in advance of the last WTO Ministerial meeting in July 2008, an interdepartmental committee was established for the weeks leading up to the event. As well as representatives from the three Departments already mentioned, the Department of the Taoiseach also attended. Then, as has been traditional for some time now, the Minister for Agriculture joined me in Geneva as an important member of the Irish delegation at the Ministerial. If another Ministerial meeting is convened on the trade talks this year, I anticipate that the same arrangements will be put in place.