Damien English (Meath West, Fine Gael)
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Question 68: To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs the role he played at the Copenhagen summit; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46823/09]

Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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Preparation for the ongoing United Nations Climate Change Conference Summit has required sustained input and coordination involving a number of Government Ministers and Departments. Climate change involves global challenges that can only be met through non-traditional diplomacy. Scientific, political, development, energy and other responses have to be combined in a coherent way. I and my Department have been fully involved in the Government's preparations and our Embassy network has provided valuable information on other participants' positions in the lead-in to the summit.

Ireland's delegation to Copenhagen is being led by the Taoiseach. He will be accompanied by the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government, Mr. John Gormley T.D., and the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources, Eamon Ryan T.D. In addition, my colleague in the Department of Foreign Affairs, the Minister of State for Overseas Development, Mr. Peter Power T.D., attended a meeting between EU Development Ministers and key developing countries partners which took place in the margins of the Copenhagen conference.

Emmet Stagg (Kildare North, Labour)
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Question 71: To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs the progress made to date at the Copenhagen climate change conference. [46851/09]

Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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As the Deputy will be aware, the negotiations in Copenhagen are ongoing. For the first week and the beginning of this week, negotiations have been conducted very much at a technical level, and the situation remains very fluid. It is anticipated that the Taoiseach will join over 100 other Heads of State and Government at the High Level Segment of the conference in the next few days. The EU goal is that leaders will be in a position to conclude an ambitious political statement that includes the essential building blocks of a new treaty and binds participants to completing a full legal text in the course of 2010.